


A Different Oz

by Annibelle_White



Category: The Wicked Years Series - Gregory Maguire, Wicked - All Media Types, Wicked - Schwartz/Holzman
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:01:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 25,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24476179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annibelle_White/pseuds/Annibelle_White
Summary: What if Elphaba and co. were going to Shiz in an Oz sociologically and technologically much like ours, just with a little magic thrown in? How does it change her relationship with Fiyero? With Galinda? How does it change her eventual demise?A/UBased mostly on the books.
Relationships: Elphaba Thropp/Fiyero Tigelaar
Kudos: 7





	1. First Impressions

**Author's Note:**

> So, I've had this written probably for more than a year. But I got stuck, and I wasn't sure where it was going. It was just to play around with. I don't know where else this story is going or will go, but I figured maybe someone would like to read it.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba arrives at Shiz on her own and meets her new roommate. She also meets an intriguing guy.

**Chapter One: First Impressions**

Elphaba got out of her rusty old van and stretched her legs before looking around at the campus before her. It had been a long and uneventful drive, but she was finally here. Around her, young men and women were unloading cars and parents were hugging and kissing their students goodbye. She was one of a few whose parents were not present. With her mother gone, Frex had to stay home and help Nanny with Nessarose and Shell and she hadn’t really wanted him to come with, anyway.

She unloaded her large, worn suitcase, grabbed her backpack and purse and began dragging her things through the parking lot towards campus, sparing a quick look at the map that Shiz had sent to her upon her acceptance. Crage Hall, her dormitory, was on the west side of campus. She was in room 347 with some girl named Galinda Uppland. She’d exchanged a few e-mails with her and wasn’t exactly enthused about the situation, but it could be worse. She didn’t have much of a choice, anyway. If she’d been able to afford it, she would have lived off campus, but her scholarship paid for on-campus housing and a meal plan, which was part of the reason she’d chosen to attend Shiz in the first place.

Shiz had not been her favorite school, but Shiz had offered the best scholarship, and she could afford almost nothing. Elphaba had been accepted to every school she’d applied to, but her options had been severely limited by money. Still, she knew she was lucky to have such a generous scholarship and to be going to any school at all, so she didn’t complain. Some of her friends back home hadn’t been able to afford college at all. The few friends she had that could afford schooling or had gotten scholarships were attending school elsewhere. Only one person she knew was here, and that was Boq. They hadn’t talked much over the last few years, though.

By the time she arrived at her dorm room, she was breathing a little heavily. The parking lot was on the other side of campus, and it was hot. The two flights of stairs hadn’t helped, either. The door was already open, which meant her roommate had already arrived. She peered in and found a pale, blonde, grey-eyed girl talking to a woman Elphaba assumed to be her mother. Elphaba cleared her throat and stepped into the room.

Galinda turned to her, staring wide-eyed for a moment before catching herself. Elphaba hadn’t told Galinda of her condition - it wasn’t anyone’s business. But the green skin did come as a shock to most, even to doctors. Not a single doctor had been able to discern why her skin had such a strange pigment, and her allergy had been a mystery to them, as well. Perhaps they might’ve found an answer, but her father had demanded they stop the tests after a year or so, insisting that science could not explain a curse by the Unnamed God.

Elphaba stared back at the young woman, unfazed by her reaction. “You must be Galinda?”

The girl smiled hesitantly. “That would be me. Elphaba?”

“Yes.” Elphaba looked around the room.

Galinda had already chosen a bed and desk. A neon pink rug adorned the floor under her bed, which was covered with ruffled pink bed sheets and quilts in a more pastel shade of pink. On her desk was a pink desk set and a slim, new laptop with a pink case. She’d even decorated the window with a large pink curtain. It only made Elphaba want to gag.

Elphaba lugged her suitcase in and tossed it onto the bed with her backpack. She knew the conversation wasn’t over, so she looked expectantly at her new roommate.

“This is my mother,” Galinda said. “Are your parents with you?”

“No,” Elphaba said shortly. “I drove up here myself.” She began tossing clothes into the small wardrobe beside the bed.

“I’ll leave you two to get to know each other.” Galinda’s mother kissed her daughter on the forehead. “I’ll see you when you come visit for a weekend soon?”

“Of course. I love you, Mom.” Galinda replied automatically.

“Love you, too, dear!” And with that, the two girls were alone.

Elphaba felt Galinda looking over her shoulder as she continued to unpack. She figured the girl was now examining and judging her clothing choices - most of the clothes Elphaba owned were black, like the ones she was now wearing. Matching color became more difficult with her unique skin, so she generally just stuck to dark. At that moment, she was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans that were frayed at the knees and a loose black shirt that hung down to mid-thigh. She knew she looked a bit ratty, but she didn’t much care.

“So… I don’t think we exchanged numbers when we were e-mailing, and we should do that. I mean, if one of us ever gets locked out or something.” Galinda’s voice sounded strained.

She handed Galinda her phone. “Input your number.”

Galinda passed her phone over. The case was gold and glittery, but it didn't’ look like it would do much in the way of protection. Elphaba had a more practical case - though her phone was at least three years old and looked bulky in the thick plastic.

“I guess your parents were busy?” Galinda attempted small talk.

“You could say that. My mother is busy being dead and my father is busy watching my siblings, so sure.”

“Oh! I’m sorry!”

“Why? You didn’t kill her.” Elphaba took her books and notebooks and put them onto the small desk in the corner of the room. She shut the suitcase and threw it under her bed and started putting her sheets on the bed.

“Well, I mean, isn’t that what you say when you found out a person has lost someone?”

“I guess. It doesn’t make any sense, though.” Elphaba was not interested in holding a conversation.

“Galinda?” A young woman appeared in the doorway. “The whole floor is supposed to meet in the common room in ten minutes.” Hazel eyes fell upon Elphaba and there was a long pause before the young woman observed, “I see your roommate has arrived.”

“Yes, this is Elphaba.” Galinda and her friend shared an odd look. Then Galinda turned to Elphaba. “I’m going to join Pfanee and Shen-Shen. I’ll see you in the common room in a few minutes, I guess.”

Finally, she was alone. After finishing with her sheets and quilt, Elphaba arranged her books in alphabetical order on her desk. Then she sorted through her backpack and set her brick of a laptop onto the desk. She unpacked the last few things she’d brought: a photo of her family that Nessa insisted she take, the small green bottle that had been her mother’s, her journal. The first went beside her computer on her desk, the latter two went into the top drawer of her desk. Elphaba took a deep breath and gave herself a few minutes before heading to the common room. 

She’d worked every day after school and every summer since she'd been old enough to. She had needed a car, and had wanted to have enough money for books and anything else she’d need in college. She hadn’t wanted to have to work through college - she wanted time to focus on her studies like she’d always wanted to. A double-major would take a lot of work. She was lucky Nanny had lived with them, or she’d have been expected to care for Nessa instead of working, and probably instead of attending college at all. Well, at least up until it was time for Nessa to go to school. Her father might somehow manage to dredge up enough money for _that_ , of course. It was Nessa, after all.

Elphaba smiled sadly at the photo on her desk. Nessa, as always, looked lovely. Anyone who didn’t know them might think Nessa was normal. The back brace held her so she could stand and walk normally, and the prosthetic arms looked so natural. Of course, upon closer examination and knowing what one was looking for, Nessa’s birth defect was noticeable, but not alarming. Not like her.

A few footsteps and voices echoed down the hall and Elphaba groaned inwardly. She didn’t want to go to this stupid meeting. It was sure to be full of icebreakers and “fun” socialization activities which never actually worked and just made people more uncomfortable.

She was right. Her Resident Advisor - whose name she forgot almost immediately - made some ridiculous speech about how she wanted all the girls on her floor to know that they could come to her with any of their problems. She reminded them of all the rules they were expected to follow: take care of common spaces, no alcohol in the dormitories, no loud music after 10 and so on. She then encouraged them to play a name game and do trust exercises, which Elphaba rolled her eyes at as she played along halfheartedly.

After the “fun” and games, the RA went over all of the fun activities that came along with freshmen orientation the next day, but Elphaba had stopped listening. None of those activities were mandatory, anyway, except a large class meeting in the morning. Instead, Elphaba took the campus map, located the bookstore and headed for it the moment the RA finally dismissed them. She had the list of books required for her first semester classes in her pocket and pulled it out, scanning it as she walked.

She was so absorbed in the list that she didn’t notice when she stepped on the edge of the path and her footing faltered, causing her to end up sprawled on the ground. Elphaba heard the sniggers of a few other students and sighed heavily before standing. As she went to push herself up, a dark hand was stuck out in front of her.

Elphaba stared up at the guy the hand belonged to. He was dressed in khaki pants and a pressed shirt that looked stiff and new. His skin was the color of milk chocolate and his eyes a cerulean blue. Tattoos that matched his eyes danced along his skin in a tribal pattern. He must be from the Vinkus - she’d heard tattoos were a rite of passage there. His hair was not the close-cropped preppy hair the majority of the boys there wore, but rather down to his chin, though out of his face. He was smiling kindly at her, but she did not take his hand and chose to climb to her feet without assistance. “Um, thank you, but I can take care of myself.”

His smile faltered. “I see that. I was just trying to help.”

She took pity on him, understanding that he didn’t mean to bother her. “You’re from the Vinkus, aren’t you?” Elphaba could feel people watching them. Being the center of attention was the last thing she wanted, but between her and the Vinkun boy, there was a lot to stare at. Even she had never seen a Vinkun before. She doubted anyone else here had, either.

“I am.” He frowned. “Is that a problem?”

“No! Of course not.” She wondered if anyone had said anything racist to him today, given the way he was acting. She figured they probably had. “It was merely curiosity. I’ve never met someone from the Vinkus before - that’s all. Which tribe?”

He seemed impressed that she knew enough to ask. “Arjiki. I’m… I’m sort of royalty there. My father is the chieftain.”

She knew in Vinkun culture that the position of ruler followed family lines. “So you’re his heir.”

“I am.”

That explained it. Vinkuns rarely attended college, since they were nomadic and didn’t engage much with the rest of Oz. Chieftains - or future chieftains, as it were - would need a bit more education and culture for diplomatic purposes. “You’re a freshman, too?”

“Yes. We’re both new around here, I guess.” The smile was back. “Where are you from?”

Elphaba knew he was probably expecting a different answer than the one she was about to give. Munchkinlanders were not green. No one was, only elves, and she was definitely not elvish - doctors had checked. He probably assumed she was from somewhere exotic and unknown. “I’m from Munchkinland.”

He didn’t miss a beat at her response, if it did surprise him. “Oh, which part?”

“Around Rush Margins. Have you ever been?”

“No. I was in Nest Hardings once, though.”

“That’s where my mother was from.”

“I mostly traveled to the City with my father, the few times he visited. I hear Rush Margins is nice, though.”

“Well, you hear wrong. It’s boring and plain.” Elphaba realized she sounded harsh. “But I’m sure the Vinkus is lovely. What’s your name?”

“Fiyero. You?”

“Elphaba. It’s nice to meet you, Prince Fiyero.”

“Don’t call me Prince, please.” He ran his hands through his hair and flashed her another charming smile.

Elphaba realized she was staring, suddenly. She didn’t realize when it had happened, but she was studying the way his muscles rippled under his shirt, or the way the diamonds on his neck appeared to go lower. She wondered just _how_ low they went, and flushed when she realized he’d noticed she was looking. _Sweet Oz, I met him two seconds ago and I’m already mentally undressing him_ . _I doubt he’s thinking the same about me!_ She looked at the ground quickly. “Right. Well, I’ve got to be going before the bookstore closes.” Her cheeks felt hot.

“It was nice talking to you. I will see you around, then.” The Vinkun boy gave a quick wave and walked in the opposite direction.

Elphaba was momentarily stunned by the interaction and blinked a few times before proceeding on her way. Her heart rate slowed again and she went back to her map, meandering to the bookstore. She had a little money after purchasing the necessary books and she put it carefully in her wallet. 

When she returned from her trip, her roommate was back. “You went to the bookstore?”

Elphaba nodded.

“I was going to do that tomorrow, but there are so many things to do! There’s a fun little student activity conference where we can learn about all the sororities and fraternities, then a luncheon, then some time to break off into groups and then a mixer in the evening!”

“None of those things are mandatory,” Elphaba commented.

“You mean you’re not going to go? To any of them?”

“Nope.”

“That’s depressing. You have to go to _something_. Come to the mixer, at least! There will be food and dancing, and plenty of guys! We can get all made-up here and chat and get to know each other better, too!”

Elphaba resisted the urge to make a snarky comment and plastered a smile on her face. “That’s nice of you, but I really don’t feel like going.”

“Oh, come on! It’ll be so great!”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. I think we should go. You’ll love it.”

Elphaba hesitated for a moment. After all, Galinda seemed nice enough - if a bit flighty - and the boy she’d met earlier had been attractive. He might be there. She’d probably be too afraid to talk to him again,though. But there was no reason _not_ to go, so she said, “Fine, fine. I’ll go.”

“Wonderful! I promise that you’ll have a perfect time.”


	2. A Mixer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero attends a mixer and finds a familiar face.

**Chapter Two**

“Are you going tonight?”

“To what? The mixer?”

“What else?” Crope laughed. “Tibett is going, so I am, too.”

Fiyero avoided rolling his eyes. They’d only been there maybe 24 hours and all Crope would talk about was Tibett: how glad he was they’d gone to the same school, how long they’d been dating… He had no problem with the fact that Crope was gay, but he was getting very bored with all the talk of Tibett. “I haven’t really decided if I’m going or not.”

“You should. You could meet people - maybe a girl?” The young man wiggled his eyebrows playfully. “Maybe get laid?”

“Oh, please. I’m not planning on getting laid my second night here, but thanks.”

“Maybe get on your way to getting laid? Find a girlfriend? Get a number?”

“Okay, okay, I’ll go!” Fiyero shrugged. “You don’t have to be a nag, man.”

“I’m just looking out for your social well-being!”

“Right…”

Of course, Crope and Tibbet disappeared the moment they arrived - probably to go find some dark place to get it on. Fiyero was left standing awkwardly alone in the main area of the student center. Girls paraded around in tight dresses trailed by guys. He noticed a few people giving him looks. Despite the fact that most people were aware of what Vinkuns looked like and his culture, he knew they weren’t used to him around here. It had taken them years to adjust to the Quadlings, and they were definitely still adjusting to Vinkuns. But the people staring quickly turned away, aware that they should know better.

As he scanned the room, he started to feel like an idiot. What was he doing here? He knew no one yet, and his ethnicity only attracted unwanted attention. No girl was going to approach the foreign kid. This wasn’t like the Vinkus where he made friends easily and had his pick from all the girls. People were uncertain about him. He should go home.

He was about to leave when he saw  _ her _ . It was the green girl he’d met the day before, standing across the room talking to some blonde girl, oblivious to his presence. She was wearing a shorter black skirt, and he admired the length and tone of her legs. Fiyero wanted to talk to her. He’d thought of her a time or two since he’d seen her, and had been mad at himself for not getting her number. Now here she was again. He was not going to deny opportunity when it came knocking.

“Elphaba, I was hoping I’d see you again.”

Her shoulder-length black hair whipped about her face when she turned to him, and he noticed how conveniently low the neck of her shirt was. Careful not to stare, he looked back at her dark, searching eyes. “Fiyero? I didn’t know you’d be here.”

“I didn’t know, either, until my roommate insisted.”

“Oh?”

“I have no clue where he disappeared to, though. He and his boyfriend made themselves scarce as soon as we walked through the door. I’m not sure I want to find them.”

Elphaba snorted. “They didn’t waste time, huh? From the looks of it, no one is wasting much time tonight.”

The blonde girl butted in. “It is college, Elphaba. We’re not  _ all  _ prim and proper and virginal around here.”

“Excuse me? What gave you that impression? It’s my sister who wants to be a maunt, not me! I’m not making any judgements, just observations.” Elphaba turned to Fiyero and introduced him. “Galinda, this is Fiyero. We met yesterday.”

“Nice to meet you.” Galinda gave him a toothy smile.  
“He’s a Vinkun prince,” Elphaba added.

“A prince?” Galinda examined him with raised eyebrows and then apparently decided she wasn’t interested - which he was grateful for, since she wasn’t the one he was interested in, either. “That’s cool.”

“Not as cool as it sounds,” Fiyero shrugged.

“Well, Elphaba, since you’ve made a friend already, I’m going to go find Pfanee and Shen-Shen.” Galinda flitted off quickly.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. “She drags me here and then ditches me. Typical.”

“Is it so terrible to be stuck with me?” He kidded.

“Not so terrible.” She gave him a grin. “You didn’t want to come either, huh?”

“I hadn’t decided, really. But Crope, my roommate, made up my mind for me. He’s not that bad, other than the fact that his whole life is about his boyfriend.”

“My roommate decided for me, too.”

“Well, we can be the roommate rejects.” He smiled at her. She seemed a bit nervous, and he didn’t want to come on too strong too fast if that were the case. Besides, it wasn’t like he intended to get with her that night - he could take a little time. “So, what’s your major?”

“I’m doing a double major in biology and sorcery, actually.” She cocked her head at him. “What about you?”

“I’m doing a double major, too. Political science and economics. I personally would’ve liked to do a bit more history, but my dad made it pretty obvious I didn’t have a choice.”

“Political science sounds interesting, though.” Her hair framed her face in such a way that her features were more defined. “I’m sorry if I’m not chatty. I didn’t really want to be here at all and she made me.”

“If it helps, my roommate barely speaks. He doesn’t even look up from his phone when he does, anyway.”

She laughed a little at that. “Sometimes I get the same way - but only if I’m reading a book.”

“On your phone?”

“Books on my phone are usually cheaper…” She blinked and looked away. 

Why was she embarrassed? Then he realized: cheaper. She was poor. He didn’t understand why that mattered, but said, “Good idea. I hadn’t thought about that. It must be better to have them in one place, too.”

“It is.”

“So...” Fiyero realized he was practically shouting. The music had begun to play and this place was entirely too loud. “I don’t understand how this is supposed to be a mixer. How can people meet and talk to one another with this noise?”

“I think that’s the point,” Elphaba commented wryly.

Fiyero shrugged. “It’s not really my scene.”

“Mine, either.” 

“The library is next door. There’s a little pizza place in there if you’re hungry, too. We could go there?” He knew it sounded as if he was hitting on her, and he thought that perhaps he wouldn’t mind if she took it that way.

She didn’t, though. “Good idea. I can’t stand it in here. And my roommate isn’t going to be coming looking for me anytime soon. I checked out the library earlier, but I’d love to go back.”

“Great.” He headed for the door, expecting her to follow him.

The night had a slight chill as they stepped outside, and he looked up at the sky. The stars were harder to see here than in the Vinkus; it had something to do with light pollution. “Fresh air,” he heard Elphaba say. Her skin was turquoise in the blue night, and almost glowing. It was certainly a strange color, but it didn’t seem unattractive.

As he approached the library door, he said, “It’s so peaceful out here.”

“It is.”

“Is it just me or can you still feel the music a little bit?”

“It’s not just you. I think the bass is thumping all the way down the street.” Elphaba walked through the library as if she’d been there a thousand times and took up residence at a small table off to the side. 

“Were you hungry?”

“Not particularly.” 

He pulled out a chair and sat across from her. “Do you know anyone around here?”

“Most of my friends either couldn’t afford to go to college or went to different schools. I know a few people here, but not many.” She sighed. “I imagine you know no one, huh? That must be depressing. You probably had plenty of friends back home. What’s it like out there, anyway?”

“It’s not as advanced as it is here. We don’t have the infrastructure for that, yet. We have plumbing and electricity in the bigger towns, as well as cell service, but it’s not like we all have computers and the latest and greatest in technology.”

“No, I would imagine not.”

“Sometimes that’s a blessing, though. I barely see anyone walking around out here without being attached to their phones. You are not the only person I’ve seen trip and fall. You’re just the only one who was looking at a piece of paper and not a screen.”

“My father wasn’t a big fan of all of that. He thought it led to sin. He’s a minister.”

“So you’re religious?”

“He is. I’m… not. I believe in science. What about your people?”

“There’s not much organized religion, no. A few people keep to ancient ways, but no one even knows the meaning behind most of that anymore. I don’t even think there’s a church. The first time I saw one of those was on a trip to the City with my father.”

“We never traveled much. We did go to Quadling Country as missionaries of a sort every summer, but never took any trips for leisure. I’ve always wondered about the City. I considered a road trip, but gas money was expensive and I was saving so I could afford to be here.” Her cheeks darkened and she looked away.

“Why do you act so funny about that? I thought poverty was a sign of piety.”

She cackled at that. “Oh, it is. My mother hated it. But my father agreed with that sentiment. That’s why we never had much. He never took any payment for his preaching or running the church, despite the fact that it was offered sometimes. When my mother was still around, she’d go back after he refused and tell them he’d changed his mind, and so we’d have a little money, but once she was gone there was basically nothing.”

“Gone?”

“My mother died in childbirth with my brother. I was ten. Please don’t apologize or give some sort of stupid condolence. It was eight years ago.”

He fumbled for his words. “Right.”

Elphaba chewed on her lip. “What was your culture like? Much the same as here?”

“In a lot of ways, yes. We’ve changed a lot over the years. When my parents were young, they arranged marriages and followed some fairly antiquated traditions. Things aren’t like that anymore.”

“That’s probably for the best in some ways. But sometimes the old ways are a good thing.”

“Well, the previous Ozma regent hated it and sent out groups to ‘civilize’ us, apparently. I wasn’t born yet, but I’ve heard enough about it. They almost destroyed the idea of tribes altogether, but eventually gave in because they realized we were a stubborn people and they couldn’t change everything.”

“It’s good that you’ve held onto some semblance of what your people were.”

“I think so. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the idea of tribes. We used to go to war on occasion, but now we mostly just have councils and discuss any disagreements. That is one thing that definitely changed in a good way.” Fiyero heard a buzzing noise and his hand immediately went to his pocket, but it wasn’t him. “Your phone?”

Elphaba reached into her plain black bag and pulled out her phone, glancing down at it and rolling her eyes. “My roommate has apparently discovered I’m gone.”

“I’m surprised she noticed.”

“Me, too,” Elphaba laughed. “I guess I’d better go find her before she comes to find me.”

“I guess you should.” Fiyero knew he had to ask. “Can I have your number? You know, in case we feel the need to rant about our roommates some more?”

Her eyes lit up. “Sure.”

By the time he got back to his dorm, Crope and Tibbet were apparently done. Tibbet was nowhere to be found, but Crope was lounging in his bed. “Have fun?”

“You know, I did.”

“See? Aren’t you glad you went?”

“You sure are.”

“Oh, come on. Tell me at least you got something out of it.”

“A number.” Fiyero couldn’t help feeling a little proud on that point.

“Good for you! Maybe you will be getting laid soon, then, huh?”

With the image of Elphaba’s perfect legs dancing through his mind, Fiyero had a lot of trouble falling asleep.


	3. Mission: Cute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba finds herself attracted to Fiyero. Galinda decides it's up to her to get them together.

**Chapter Three: Mission: Cute**

“That guy was kind of cute.”

“Hmm?” Elphaba looked up from her phone in a daze. “What?”

“The one from the other night. Fiyero?”

“Oh.” Her heart sank a little. “You interested?” 

“No, no. He’s not my type. But maybe he’s yours?” The blonde’s voice got a bit higher as she spoke, and she winked at Elphaba.

“I’m not sure I have a specific type. It just happens.” And she had to be careful when it did happen. At first, boys had asked her out as a joke. She’d been too smart to fall for it, but the first time someone was serious, she hadn’t known the difference. It had been years since that joke had been played, and Fiyero didn’t seem like the type, but she was wary nonetheless. She’d never truly trusted any of her exes, probably because of that. 

“And are you thinking something might  _ happen _ with Fiyero?”

Elphaba stared at her roommate for a moment. She realized the girl was trying to make friends. She hadn’t expected to be friendly with this girl. Then again, she hadn’t expected to already have a crush on someone, and she did. She hated it, because she felt like it wasn’t logical and it was too soon, but she definitely liked him. So she said, “I guess if he wanted it to, but I’m not so sure he does, Galinda.”

“Oh, I think he does. Did you see how he checked you out last night? Besides, he came straight up to us last night, and he barely looked at me. He had no interest in meeting anyone  _ new _ , just an interest in talking to  _ you _ , Elphaba the Delirious. Tell me you didn’t pick up on that.”

She smiled a bit, comforted that she hadn’t been the only person to notice that. “I might have. You think he was interested?”

“I think he was  _ very _ interested.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You don’t have to be so close-lipped about things, Elphaba.” Galinda told her. “Did he ask for your number?”

“He did.”

“And you gave it to him, right?”

“I did.”

Galinda giggled. “This is exciting. I’ve made it my mission. You two are going to be a couple by the end of the month, maybe the week!”

“Galinda, don’t do that. You’re just going to make it weird.”

“I know what I’m doing.”

“Not for me. Please, let this happen if it’s going to happen. Don’t push it.”

“Fine. But I’m not going to be patient about it.”

“Sweet Oz, Galinda, it’s  _ my _ potential relationship, not yours! And it probably won’t happen. So stop already.”

“Let’s just see, I guess.”

“I don’t know what you’re waiting to see!”

“If he asks you out, you need to tell me. Or if anything  _ else _ happens.”

“Subtle.”

“It’s college.”

“I know.” Elphaba laughed. And she certainly wasn’t disinterested. “What happens will happen. I’m not forcing things.” She was too afraid to try. Elphaba generally didn’t care what people thought of her, but she also didn’t put herself out there. It was just asking to get hurt, and it was far too soon for heartbreak. Her phone vibrated on her desk and she reached for it.

Galinda snatched it. “Oh, would you look at that? It seems like you have a text message from Fiyero. He appears to be lonely and looking for someone to eat lunch with in a few minutes. Perhaps I should respond.”

Elphaba grabbed for her phone. “Hey! Give me that!”

Galinda wouldn’t give it up. “Only if you go.”

“Fine!” Elphaba held out her hand for her phone and glared at Galinda when she gave it back. She typed a quick text back to Fiyero. “I guess I’ll see you later, then. Thanks for that,” she muttered. Elphaba grabbed her purse and stomped out of the room.

_ Crope ditched me again and I’m hungry. Lunch in the cafeteria? _ That was what the text had read. Her reply had been:  _ I’ll see you in a minute, then. _ She headed for the student center. The cafeteria was on the second floor. Fiyero was already there when she arrived. He had a tray full of food that he hadn’t yet started to eat. She pretended not to be looking around for him too obviously and got into line to grab her own meal: pasta and a salad.

She nodded toward him when he waved at her and made her way toward him. Elphaba plopped her tray beside him and sat down. “Have you had any classes yet?”

“A very long and very boring calculus class.” Fiyero answered. “I’m glad you came. I felt ridiculous sitting here alone.”

“Why? People staring?” She had meant that to be teasing, but she realized as she said it that people were staring. Fiyero was foreign. She was green. Together, they might as well have been a freakshow. “I’m sorry. That was a stupid thing to say. I just meant that people won’t judge you for eating alone. It’s the first day of classes, Fiyero. Look.” She gestured to a table a few feet away where someone was sitting alone.

“Regardless, Elphaba, I’m glad you’re here. Although people are definitely staring.”

“Which one of us do you think they find more distracting - me or you?”

“I’d personally find you more distracting, but I doubt that’s for the same reason as anyone else.” He caught her eye and a smile peeked out from the corners of his mouth. 

Elphaba froze. He was flirting with her, wasn’t he? Was he implying that he found her attractive? Her stomach did leaps in her abdomen. She had no idea how to respond. She wasn’t completely sure how she  _ wanted _ to respond, either. “Umm…”

But she didn’t have to figure out what to say because a voice shouted across the cafeteria, “Elphie!” 

She turned to see Boq ambling up to their table with a tray full of food. Elphaba forced a smile and noted that Fiyero seemed to have deflated next to her. “It’s a friend from Munchkinland,” Elphaba told him.

“I can tell.” Fiyero said. And he was right. Boq was the height of a typical munchkin, and a bit portly, too. Fiyero’s smile was lacking something when Boq sat down. “Hi.”

“Hi!” Boq said brightly. “I’m Boq.”

“Boq, this is Fiyero. He’s from the Vinkus. We met the other day.” She looked over at Fiyero, feeling more awkward than she’d ever felt.

“It’s nice to meet you, man. Elphie and I went to school together.”

“Do you have to call me that? I hate it and you know it.”

“But I’ve called you that forever.”

“It’s childish and it sounds stupid.” And she really, really, didn’t want him calling her that in front of Fiyero. “I was wondering when I’d see you around, by the way. Nessa has been asking. If I get one more text asking if I’ve seen ‘our dear old friend,’ I might lose my mind.”

“How is your sister?”

“She’s fine.” Elphaba shrugged and told Fiyero, “My sister has a fairly obvious crush on Boq. You’d have thought she’d have gotten over it after a few years, but that hasn’t quite happened yet.”

“Nessa’s a sweet girl.” Boq said.

“But you’re not interested. I don’t blame you. I love Nessie, but she’s far too puritanical and zealous.” They’d had this conversation before. She turned to Fiyero. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” She was trying to find a way to get him back into the conversation.

“A younger brother.” Fiyero answered. “He’s only about five, though. My parents thought they were done and then he happened.”

“I’m an only child,” Boq said.

Elphaba was starting to wish Boq hadn’t sat down with them at all. He’d interrupted whatever was happening with her and Fiyero, he’d called her “Elphie,” and the discussion had turned dull. It was over by that point, although the three of them struggled to keep it going.

About an hour after her evening class, her phone buzzed again. Ignoring Galinda’s knowing look, she looked down at it.  _ It was nice seeing you today. We should be lunch buddies _ .

She cringed a bit at the words. “Buddies,” sounded very… platonic. But she could do that. She had expected that. He was a good friend, and she liked talking to him, no matter that she also found him undeniably sexy. She could put that out of her mind, right? _I’d like that_ , she replied carefully. _As long as you promise not to call me Elphie_.

_ I think I can do that. You’re not the only one who has a nickname they hate, you know _ .

_ Oh? Do tell. _

_ My little brother used to call me Fi-Fi. It was awful. _

Elphaba snorted and then shrunk a bit when Galinda looked at her. “Nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. I know that look. Obviously that text is from Fiyero.” 

“Maybe.” Elphaba looked back at her phone and typed,  _ I think I’m going to remember that and save it. _

_ You wouldn’t _ .

_ I might. I might not _ .

“Are you not going to tell me anything?” Galinda huffed.

“Fine, fine. We’re texting about stupid nicknames we got called when we were younger. When we were eating today, a friend from home came and sat with us. He called me something I hadn’t heard in a few years.”

“Oh? What was it?”

“Elphie.”

“Ooh! I love it. That sounds so cute. Elphie.”

That had obviously been a bad idea. “Don’t.”

“But it’s adorable! Please!”

“I hate it, Galinda.”

“Why?”

“It’s not  _ me _ .”

“I like it.”

“Of course you do.” Elphaba sighed. “Whatever you want. I don’t think arguing will do me any good, will it?” 

_ Then I’ll have to remember Elphie _ . Fiyero replied.

_ Oh, I think you will. Apparently, Galinda loves it. I’m sure I’ll be hearing it plenty now. _

“Elphie is perfect.”

Elphaba closed her eyes. This was definitely not what she had expected from college.


	4. Party Pooper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero and Elphaba get dragged to a party by Fiyero's roommate. The two get closer until the evening ends unexpectedly.

**Chapter Four: Party Pooper**

“Chi Delta Beta is hosting a party tomorrow,” Crope commented, scrolling through his phone.

“That’s nothing new.” Fiyero was lazily tossing a baseball in the air. He hadn’t played a lot of sports, not competitively, but he did enjoy the game aspect when it was mindless. It gave his body something to do while his mind wandered.

“We should go. You can even bring that girl, the one I see you eating with all the time. There will be free booze.”

“We’re not even old enough for free booze.”

“Please tell me you didn’t just say that.” Crope laughed. “Fiyero, everyone drinks.”

“I know  _ that _ . I just meant that this is only the second week of school and I’d rather not start off the year by getting arrested for underage drinking. Those parties always get raided.”

“You’re thinking of Gamma Kappa. Their parties do. Chi Delta Beta’s house is in a better spot. No one ever calls the cops on them.”

“I don’t know.”

“I’ll ask that girl, if you’re being such a pain in the ass about it. She certainly won’t think  _ I’m _ hitting on her.”

“She definitely won’t. But she met you for maybe two minutes at lunch the other day. She won’t even remember your name, Crope. Besides, maybe I don’t want to go.”

“We’re going. And so is she. I’ll just have to join you for lunch.”

Fiyero sighed, but didn’t protest. They hadn’t been here long, but he knew when Crope set his mind to something, he did it. So he wasn’t surprised when Crope slid into the seat across from Elphaba when they were at lunch. “Hello, there.”

Elphaba gave Crope an amused look. “Hello, Crope.”

“Well, would you look at that? She does know my name.” Crope winked at Fiyero.

“Huh?” Elphaba looked back and forth between the two of them.

“Nothing, nothing. Now, I am dying to go to this party tonight at the Ki Delta Beta house. Tibbet is busy and I need to drag someone. Fiyero won’t go with just me. You in?”

“A frat party?” Elphaba raised her eyebrows. “Are you serious?”

“Why the hell not?” Crope laughed. “People do the stupidest things and it’s fun to watch. I even promise I’ll dance with you, Elphaba.”

“I don’t know if that’s a threat or a promise, really.” Fiyero muttered.

Elphaba laughed. “Fine, fine. But I’m not staying long.”

“Perfect. I will see you there.” Crope disappeared as quickly as he’d appeared. A moment later Fiyero got a text:  _ For being a gay guy, I’m a pretty good wingman, don’t you think? _ He quickly stuffed his phone back into his pocket when Elphaba looked over curiously.

“I guess Crope needs a posse.” Elphaba observed. “He’s not one who would handle isolation well, is he?”

“Definitely not.”

“Why didn’t you want to go with him just the two of you? Afraid people might think you’re gay? Because I’m fairly certain no one would.”

“Not at all. I just don’t care for frat parties. I guess he got it in his head that if he convinced you to go, it would guilt me into going, too. If you want to get out of it, I won’t blame you.” He secretly hoped she wouldn’t, though.

“No, I’ll go. Galinda has been nagging me about getting out and doing more than just eating lunch with a friend. Unless you don’t want me there?” There was something in her eyes as she asked.

“Of course not. I want you there. I mean, if I have to be there…” Fiyero smiled. “I want you there,” he repeated simply.

“Then I’ll be there.”

She was already there when he and Crope arrived, and Fiyero couldn’t help staring at her. She was wearing a dress and it fit her  _ very _ well. Her slender legs, as usual, were showing, and his eyes traveled up them, wanting desperately to touch them, to part them, to… He shook himself harshly. That was  _ not _ something he needed to be thinking about at the moment. But hell, she looked incredible. Her neckline dipped just enough to give him a good glimpse of the fullness of her small breasts. Her arms, thin and muscular, were exposed in the halter, and she was smiling when he finally looked at her face. He wondered if she’d noticed the way he’d looked at her.

Crope got to her first. “Damn, girl, you look hot.”

She laughed, her eyelashes batting a little as she did. “Thank you.”

“That eyeliner is spot on, by the way. You have to show me how.”

“Don’t ask me. It was Galinda.”

“Oh, is she here?”

“Yes. She’s off flirting with one of the seniors, I think. I have no idea.” She waved her hand at the direction of the drink table. “She had no problem abandoning me the minute we got here. She didn’t even wait to see if you two would show and keep me company.”

“Well, she wouldn’t have to worry. With the way you look, I’m surprised there isn’t a flock of guys following you around.”

“Stop that, Crope.” Elphaba’s eyes lowered, but before they did, Fiyero thought perhaps she had given him a quick glance.

“Come on, Fiyero, tell her she looks amazing.” Crope insisted.

“You do,” he told her, flashing her a grin. “He’s right.”

Elphaba chewed on her lip, and it was probably the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. “Um, thank you.” 

“I’ll grab us some drinks,” Crope said, and shot Fiyero an imploring look. He began making his way through the crowd of people.

“So…” Elphaba brushed her hair behind her ear. “I haven’t really been to a big party before. I prefer a more intimate setting with just a few people.”

“I understand what you mean. I’ve been to a few parties, but I’m not a huge fan, either.” Fiyero looked around. “Once Crope comes back, we can all go sit somewhere off to the side. He only wanted to come to look at the hot football players, anyway. He can do that from afar.”

She smiled. “That’s a good idea. I’m sure Tibbet would much rather he look from  _ afar _ , anyway.”

“They have some sort of deal. Look, flirt, but don’t touch. I don’t know. They’re crazy. But they’re in love, so I won’t judge.” He put a hand gently on her shoulder and guided her a little to the left as someone passed by. As he caught Crope’s eye across the room, he waved him over.

Crope handed them each a drink. “I have no idea what’s in this.”

Elphaba took a big gulp. “Who cares?”

Fiyero took a swig. “Vodka, I think.”

“I think you’re right.”

“Let’s find somewhere to sit?”

“No, no,” Crope said, pouting. “I want to dance. Elphaba, will you?” He offered her his hand. “Poor Fiyero will have to wait his turn.”

She shrugged. “Why not?” Elphaba followed Crope into the crowd of dancing bodies. He could barely see them. “Join us if you want.” She told him.

“In a bit.” Fiyero leaned against the wall for a few minutes, and after the song had changed twice, he decided to find them. Elphaba had another drink in her hand and it was almost empty. Crope had found some guy to dance with. 

“I was wondering if you’d left.” Elphaba looked up at him with a sweet smile. “Crope ditched me.”

“I figured he might.” He put a hand on her waist. “I’m happy to dance with you, instead.”

Elphaba twirled in his grasp. “I think I could live with that.”

Fiyero had a hard time not letting his hands wander into places they shouldn’t, but he managed to be respectful as they danced. After a few minutes, he nodded at her and they walked outside into the backyard. 

“This hasn’t been so bad.” Elphaba commented as she sat down on the edge of the bench.

“I’m glad.” He sat beside her.

“Would you laugh if I told you I was nervous about coming to the party? I thought people would stare and laugh at me.”

“I think you’re not trusting people enough. Yes, you’re different. I don’t think they care that much, not in a bad way.” He put a hand on her bare shoulder.

“It wasn’t just that,” she said softly. “There was more.”

“What?”

She gazed at him, her cheeks shining in the moonlight. “Nothing, I guess.”

He kissed her. Fiyero didn’t have the willpower to hold back, and she was too perfect. He pulled her against him and ran his tongue along her lips, imploring her to open them. She did, and her hands tangled into his hair. Fiyero’s hands wandered, uninhibited. He grabbed her ass, pressing her toward him. She only kissed him fiercer. 

He had no intention of stopping, either, unless she asked. Now that he’d kissed her, nothing was keeping him from her. He teased at her breasts through her dress, and was ready unhook the back of it so he could feel her skin when the sound of a throat clearing stopped them both.

“Um, I think we should go.” Crope was clearly drunk. “Before I do something stupid.”

Elphaba dusted herself off casually and stood. “That’s a good idea, Crope. For your sake and for Tibbet’s.” She didn’t look at Fiyero.

“Thank you,” Crope mumbled, stumbling a bit. “I’m sorry if I’m ruining your night.”

“Of course you aren’t. I’d much rather you go home than destroy your relationship with Tibbet.” Elphaba told him gently, putting a hand on his back to steady him. “Right, Fiyero?”

“Right.” Fiyero cursed internally, though. He was pretty sure Crope had definitely ruined his night.


	5. Blonde Interference

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Elphaba not sure what is going on between she and Fiyero, Galinda decides to take matters into her own hands to get Elphie out of the friend zone.

**Chapter Five: Blonde Interference**

At lunch a few days later, neither of them talked about what had happened. She was afraid to bring it up. Neither of them had been drunk, but they hadn’t been completely sober, either. And she would’ve slept with him. That much she knew. That wasn’t the problem, though. The problem was if it meant anything more. 

“Anything new with Fiyero?” Galinda asked the next week. “Because you two are acting funny.”

“How would you even know that?”

“I saw you sitting together at the cafeteria this afternoon. You looked tense.”

“It’s nothing.” Elphaba wrung her hands. “Okay, maybe it is something.”

“Oh?”

“He kissed me. When you ran off at that party to sleep with whatever-his-name is, I had a drink or two and hung out with Fiyero and Crope. Crope also ran off, and it just happened. But nothing more. And we haven’t talked about it.” Elphaba hadn’t planned on telling Galinda, but she needed insight. How did she bring it up with him? Or should she not bring it up at all?

“Excuse me! I didn’t know socializing was a crime. Besides, I was not sleeping with him. I left the party after a few minutes and I was out with the girls of Alpha Delta Gamma Phi Kappa. I’m hoping to join them next semester. Even if it had been a boy I was seeing, it’s old fashioned to judge.”

“I know it is! I’m not shaming you. I was just pointing out that you’re more interested in my life than I am in yours, and you’re being nosy. I don’t care what you were doing.”

“I’m sorry that I’m trying to be friendly.”

“Don’t try to guilt-trip me!” Elphaba shot her a piercing glare. “I’m not being unfriendly.”

“You don’t appear to know what friendly means! Did you not have any?”

“I had plenty of friends. And boyfriends. I told you that.”

This perked up the other girl. “Oh, did you?”

“Like I said, I am not the one who wants to be a maunt, Galinda. But really, it was nothing serious.” Elphaba shrugged. “And you?” Maybe if she acted interested, the girl wouldn’t keep nagging her about her antisocial behavior. 

“I dated the same boy for a few months, but we decided there was no point in pursuing that when we were going to different schools. I like flirting, anyway.” Galinda grinned. 

_ It must be easy when you look like that _ , Elphaba thought. It had never been easy for her, though. She’d never known the few times a boy tried to flirt with her, because it was so odd for anyone to do such a thing. And while Fiyero acted like maybe he was interested, she wasn’t certain it wasn’t just part of his culture or his desire to make friends. “No harm in that, I guess.”

“None at all.” Galinda agreed happily. She looked back down at her phone and frowned. “Ugh, an email from Morrible.”

Elphaba pulled her email up on her computer. They’d all gotten the same email. It was reminding students to please keep alcohol out of the dormitories. “I’m guessing they’ve had a few too many drunk people throwing up.” She snorted. 

“Sounds like it.” 

After several minutes of uncomfortable silence, Galinda said, “I was just trying to say… if you’re interested in Fiyero, you should go for it.”

“We’ve had this conversation.”

“You know, it’s not uncommon for women to ask men out anymore.”

“You don’t quit, do you?”

“I’m just saying you should ask him out if you’re interested.”

“For Oz’s sake, Glinda, you pushed me about this two weeks ago! I’m not going to ask him out!” Elphaba sighed. Maybe telling her roommate the truth wasn’t the best idea.

“But you’re interested?”

“I’m interested in studying.” Elphaba wanted to throw herself into her work, not a relationship, as tempting as it might be. Usually, she was blunt about her feelings, but in this case she chose to stay silent. If he expressed interest, she’d reciprocate. But she saw no need for further distraction otherwise. “I’m going to do that right now. In the library.”

However, that was not the perfect solution she had hoped for. Several minutes after she began scrolling through her notes again, she heard, “Sexiled, again,” as Fiyero dropped into the chair across from her.

She looked up. “Crope and Tibbet again? Seriously?”

“Yup. No warning this time. I would like my room back. I enjoy spending time in my room. Or at least, I would. He owes me at least five right now.”

“Five what?”

“We have a system. Every time he kicks me out or I get to the room and he has a sock on the door, he owes me one of the same.”

“So you intend to use them?” Elphaba felt her heart speed up a bit as she asked that, almost afraid of the answer. 

“I already have - for studying. I just wanted a few minutes of silence, honestly.”

She felt relieved hearing that. “Understandable.” 

“Besides, maybe I’m saving them up for when I need them.” He winked at her.

She had just enough time to wonder if he was trying to tell her something before her phone buzzed. She glanced at it “Galinda is being passive-aggressive again.”

“What this time?”

“I walked out when she wouldn’t stop talking. I wanted to study. So now she’s texted me that it might be polite to say goodbye next time.” Elphaba sighed. “I didn’t mean to make her mad, really. I’ve just had trouble focusing on schoolwork and that is why I came here, after all.” She didn’t add that he was causing some of that trouble. “I’ve been considering becoming a tutor, but if I can’t get my own work done, that won’t work.”

“I’m sure you just need time to settle into college life. We all do.” He smiled brightly. “Would it be a distraction if I asked if you wanted to go grab dinner in the cafeteria? I’m starving.”

She knew by now nothing was getting done tonight, anyway. “It might be. But it would be a welcome distraction.”

“Good. Come on.” He got up and she followed him to the cafeteria, talking about their roommates and the class they had together. They went through the line, grabbed their food and sat down. 

“So I’ve noticed you’re fond of the pasta,” Fiyero observed, gesturing to her tray.

“A little. I also don’t really like to eat meat. It just seems wrong, what with Animals and all that. How can they be sure they aren’t killing an Animal instead of an animal? It makes me queasy just to think about.” 

“I’m going to sound ignorant, but I’d never thought of that. You make a good point. After all, we have Animal professors here. Imagine eating one of them.” He gagged a bit.

“Exactly. They are just as human and as real as we are.”

“Like our biology professor?”

“Yes, just like him. I like Dr. Dillamond. He’s probably my favorite professor.”

“I can tell. I think you’re the only who raises her hand every time he asks a question. Let someone else answer for once, will you?” He was teasing.

She frowned. “Are you accusing me of being the teacher’s pet?”

“Maybe a little. It’s cute.”

Elphaba opened her mouth to respond, to tell him that she liked him and was interested and that maybe they should go out, but a tray slammed down beside her. It was Galinda. “Well, well, look who isn’t studying after all.”

“I was! Well, I was trying to. I ran into Fiyero and we were both hungry.”

Fiyero nodded. “I swear it wasn’t planned. She was studying. Crope just kicked me out again and I ended up in the library.”

“I see.” Galinda looked back and forth between the two of them. “So when are you planning on getting your shit together and actually asking Elphaba on a date?”

“Galinda!” Elphaba buried her face in her hands.

“I was just working up to it, actually.” Fiyero replied calmly before turning to her. “What do you say, Elphaba? Friday night?”

“Smooth,” Galinda commented. “I’ll, um, be right back…” She left her tray and headed towards the hallway where the bathrooms were located.

“You don’t have to ask that just because she said something.” Elphaba said, looking down at her food.

“I’m not. I was literally about to ask you, Elphaba. I mean it.” He reached across the table and took her hand. “It’s not like I didn’t make it clear this was coming.”

Her mouth curled into a smile. “You made it pretty clear, didn’t you?”

“Oh, I did. I was starting to worry you were oblivious.”

“I wasn’t.”

“So, then? Friday?”

“Friday,” she affirmed. “I would like that.” Her heartbeat had climbed about as high as it could go and she willed it to calm down.

“Dinner? And… well, you don’t seem like the dinner and a movie type.”

“Yes and no. I like movies, but I hate seeing them in theaters. It’s expensive, and people are just so rude. Besides, I like to pause and take time to digest movies, or talk about them. You can’t do that in a theater.”

“So a movie in my room, maybe? Crope does owe me some alone time.”

“That’s fine with me. I don’t exactly think my roommate would be very helpful in leaving me alone, considering,” Elphaba muttered, watching her roommate walk back to the table.

“All worked out?” Galinda asked, smirking.

“Yes, thank you. I didn’t need your help, you know.” Fiyero told her. “I was getting around to it. I don’t appreciate being rushed.”

Galinda sighed. “You’ve been getting around to it for two weeks. I was getting impatient.”

“ _ You _ were getting impatient?”

“Do you have any idea how painful it is watching the two of you dance around each other? I knew Elphaba wasn’t going to do anything, so I was expecting you to.” Galinda huffed. “What took you so long?”

Elphaba couldn’t deal with it anymore. “Galinda, this is absolutely not appropriate. You got what you wanted, now butt out!” 

“For your information, I was trying to let Elphaba do what she wanted and let her know how I felt without pushing it, since she doesn’t seem to like that,  _ Galinda _ .” Fiyero said pointedly.

“Well, I can see I’m not wanted here. I’ll just leave you lovebirds alone.” Galinda got up with her tray.

“You’re in for it when you get back to your dorm, aren’t you?” Fiyero asked once she was out of earshot.

“Oh, probably. But it was worth it.”


	6. First Dates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero and Elphaba's first date is a success.

**Chapter Six: First Dates**

“I need to take you up on an IOU Friday night,” Fiyero told Crope the next day.

“Friday night? That’s not study time or alone time. That’s a girl.” Crope grinned. “Good for you. I was about to ‘accidentally’ lock you two in a broom closet or something to make you two figure it out. I'll make myself scarce, I promise. Wouldn't want to interrupt you while you're getting some. I'll come back in the morning."

"I'm not..." Fiyero shook his head. "I'm pretty sure Elphaba isn't the type for that on the first date." Then again, they’d been getting pretty hot and heavy at the party...

"Regardless, why don't you text me when she leaves? That way I don't get in the way."

"That's fair." Except now Fiyero was thinking about Elphaba's body, and what she would look like naked. He began reorganizing his desk in an effort to distract himself. 

Friday night, Elphaba insisted on meeting him somewhere. Picking her up at her dorm was too old fashioned and silly, she told him. After obsessively cleaning his side of the room, he headed out. They met in front of the student center, as his car was parked in the parking lot behind it. 

Elphaba was wearing a dress again. And like the dress at the party, it actually fit her, unlike half the shirts she wore that were sizes too big. Her small but noticeable curves were accented well by the shape of the dress, and her hair was pulled back in a half-ponytail, the rest of it falling about her shoulders. As usual, she had eyeliner on. This time, however, it was accompanied by a dark red lipstick. She looked beautiful.

“You look fantastic,” he told her.

“You can thank Galinda for that. I had the dress, but she insisted on helping a bit with hair and make-up. I’ve never really been much for that.” But she smiled at the compliment as they walked towards his car. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

He laughed. “Thank you.” Fiyero clicked to unlock his car and the lights flashed a few feet away. 

Elphaba looked his car over for a moment. "Hm."

"What?"

"Is it strange that I wondered what your car would look like? I mean, you're a prince, but you also don't seem like the type to obsess over expensive cars."

Fiyero laughed. "I'm not. I want something that gets me where I want to go. I want to be comfortable, of course, but other than a good radio, it doesn't matter to me." He unlocked the doors and ducked inside. Fiyero had thought to himself earlier that he shouldn't open the door for her - she’d hate it. “I was thinking somewhere vegetarian? After our conversation the other day, I figured that would be best.”

“You figured right.”

Before they drove off, Fiyero said, “Look, I know you won’t like this, but I want you to let me pay. I’m not doing it because I’m a man and you’re a woman and this is the first date. I’m doing it because you would do it for me if… well, if I was struggling financially.”

Elphaba surprised him by laughing. “How many times did you rehearse that little speech?”

“A few.”

“Fiyero, that’s sweet. And this time, I’ll let you. But I am a grown woman and I can take care of myself. But you can pay… this time.”

He reached over and put a hand on hers. “Good. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, and I know you seem to be uneasy about money.”

“It’s fine, Fiyero. It was sweet and well-intentioned. I get it.”

The restaurant was only minutes away and the moment they arrived, they were seated. Fiyero looked across the table at Elphaba, seeing her now under the lights and wondering how in Oz he’d gotten so lucky. He didn’t say that, though. Elphaba would only laugh. He struggled to find something to talk about. “Have you met Tibbet’s roommate? I think his name is Avaric.”

“He kind of crashed our lunch yesterday and started hitting on Galinda, actually,” Elphaba commented, laughing.

“Oh, poor Glinda.”

“She handled it fine. I don’t get it, though.”

“Get what?”

“Why some women go for that. But only some. Galinda, though she’s a flirt, is not his type at all.” Elphaba shrugged. “Meanwhile, I couldn’t even tell you were flirting with me half the time, so he’s definitely not my type.”

Fiyero laughed. “Well, I was. Did you really not know?”

“I suspected. I just… School just started. I like you, but I didn’t want to be distracted and I decided that if you wanted it, you could deal with it and ask. There were moments where I almost did, though. It wasn’t that I didn’t like you.”

“I was starting to wonder.”

“Well, I’m here, aren’t I?”

“And I am glad for it.”

After they finished eating, they drove back to campus and headed into Three Queens dormitory. When Fiyero opened the door, he found that Crope had cleaned his side of the room, too... And left candles on the dresser and rose petals on Fiyero’s bed. He blushed hotly. Elphaba looked at him questioningly.

“Crope apparently had plans for us,” he told her.

She snorted, but nodded. “Really? He thought this would work?”

“Yes. He’s been telling me that I need to get laid since I got here.” Fiyero blew out the candles and tossed the rose petals in the trash. “I’m sorry. I had no intention of...”

“It’s fine. It didn’t seem like you to do that sort of thing anyway.”

He sat down on the futon and grabbed the remote. “What did you want to watch?”

She re-lit one of the candles and shut the lights. “I like the smell,” she said defensively when he gave her a playful look. “I don’t really see a lot of movies. I hate romance movies and I hate pure action movies. Other than that, I’ll watch just about anything.”

“I can work with that.” Fiyero pulled up a movie on the screen. “My favorite movie. Have you seen it?”

She shook her head and hung her head a bit. “I really didn’t get to see a lot of movies.”

“Good. That means I can show you all the good ones and they’ll be new for you.”

“That’s a good way to think about it,” she commented. 

He started the movie and draped an arm over her shoulder. She immediately leaned against him a little in response, and he smiled to himself. Her hair smelled like coconut, and he was so focused on her, he wasn’t paying much attention. When she asked a question, he had to shake himself out of his stupor and asked, “What was that?”

Elphaba looked up at him, then, and smirked. “Oz to Fiyero… are you there?”

“I am.”

“Good,” she replied, and kissed him.

He realized it shouldn’t surprise him, but it did for a moment. Once he got past it, he kissed her back eagerly. Her arms wrapped about his neck and he cupped her cheek with one hand, the other on her waist. He teased through her lips with his tongue, meeting hers as the kiss deepened. Kissing her felt natural, easy. 

She pulled him closer and leaned back, his body over hers, her small hips pressed against him. Her hands groped for him, one running along his chest but never removing his shirt. They barely stopped to breathe. Fiyero thought he could do it all night. He gently teased her breast through the cloth of her top, and kissed her neck. He kissed his way back to her lips when she giggled.

When they did stop kissing, the credits were running and Elphaba wiped at her mouth, which was now completely missing the lipstick she’d been wearing when they’d begun the evening. “So, um, I should probably go?”

He didn’t want her to, but it was late. “I’ll walk you back. You know what they said at orientation, don’t go anywhere alone at night.”

“As if I can’t protect myself.” Elphaba got up. “But yes, you can walk me back.” She grabbed her purse. 

As they walked back, Fiyero took her hand. “So… next week? You free Friday night?”

“I’ll have to check my calendar. I mean, so many people want to see me, I’ll have to see if I can squeeze you in,” she joked.

“Is that a yes?”

“That’s a yes.”

“Good.” Crage Hall was just next door. “Should I walk you up to your room? I’m sure Galinda will want to interrogate you. Or me. Or both.”

“And you’re willing to risk that? You’re brave.” Elphaba jerked her head towards the door and let him follow her up the stairs. As she opened the door, she said, “Galinda, I’m back.”

“I walked her over,” Fiyero said, looking around the room. The two girls had very different decorating preferences, he noted. Elphaba opted for practical and plain while Galinda opted for cute and fun. “I just thought I’d say hello.”

“Hi! Did you two have fun?” Galinda demanded.

“Yes, Galinda. It was fine. Don’t bother the poor guy.” Elphaba stood in the doorway for a moment and looked up at him. “I’ll see you in class?”

“And Friday night,” he reminded her. Then he kissed her softly. “Have a good night, Elphaba.”

“I already did,” she replied, smiling.


	7. TMI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba confides in Fiyero. Crope makes an inappropriate comment at lunch that affects Fiyero's relationship.

**Chapter Seven: TMI**

They were eating lunch with their usual crowd Tuesday (which now consisted of Crope, Tibbet, Avaric, Pfanee, Shen-Shen and Galinda), when Fiyero said, “I was thinking Friday night we could just walk around.”

“Isn’t it getting a bit cold for that?” Elphaba asked.

“There’s a warm front coming in. I mean, there’s a 30% chance of rain, but…”

“No.”

“Elphaba, we can just have an umbrella, it’s not a big deal.”

“It is, though. We can’t.” Elphaba glanced around the table, and noted that Galinda was looking at her and indicating the hallway. Galinda was the only one who knew of her allergy. She realized Fiyero wouldn’t understand and she didn’t want to explain it here. So Elphaba nodded at Galinda before turning back to Fiyero. “Can we talk about this in the hall for a moment?”

“Our second date and you already ‘want to talk about something’?”

“It’s not bad, I promise.” She took his hand and dragged him into the hall. “I’m going to tell you something personal, and it’s going to sound absurd at first. But I’m not joking. I have a skin condition. It doesn’t have a name. Yes, I’m green, but there’s more to it than that, Fiyero.”

“Okay…”

“I can’t touch water.” Elphaba held eye contact, wanting him to understand that she was serious. “It burns. I know it sounds insane, but it’s true.” 

“I believe you.” He said calmly. 

“I’m sure you have questions,” she conceded. “You may ask them.”

“Can you drink it?”

“If there are things mixed in with it to dilute it enough, yes, but it’s not easy. I generally stick to milk, or tea made with milk.”

“Bathing?”

“I use a special oil that coats my skin to make it a bit easier. But I have to be quick about it before the oil rubs off. I use dry shampoo and a lot of skin cream.”

“And sweat? Tears? Other bodily fluids?” Fiyero looked genuinely concerned. Then she realized why.

“Sweat stings a bit, so do tears. As for what I think you’re asking, Fiyero, I wouldn’t worry. You won’t hurt me.” She laughed. “That’s, um, sweet of you to worry, though.”

“I’m assuming you don’t tell many people this,” he stated.

“I don’t. I just keep a close eye on the weather, use special skin cream if it might rain and wear a  _ lot _ of extra layers, many of them waterproof. But I look pretty silly when I do, and I didn’t want to go on a date like that. Besides, I only wear all of that when I have to get from one place to another and it might rain or is raining. I don’t spend time in it.” Elphaba shrugged. “I’m a freak of nature. I don’t want to add to it.”

“I like your freakishness.”

“Thank you.”

“Well, no romantic picnics or singing in the rain, then.”

“Nope. Indoors only!”

“I hope you like dorm rooms, then.”

“When my roommate or yours isn’t around, I like them just fine.”

“Do you want to just sit and talk, maybe watch a movie Friday night, then?”

“I think I can do that.”

“That sounds good, then.” He kissed her. “Thank you for telling me. I was a little confused why you suddenly got so stiff about it.”

“I just… I didn’t want to explain in front of the rest of them. And sometimes I forget to warn people in advance. So there’s your warning.” She and Fiyero joined their usual crowd at the table.

“We were having a debate,” Tibbet said, grinning mischievously. “Perhaps one of you can give us some insight.” He looked at them.

She shook herself out of her thoughts. “What?” 

“The shoe theory. Do you think it’s true?”

“The what theory?” Elphaba cocked her head.

“Oh, come on, you have to have heard it.” Crope insisted. “You know, how a guy’s shoe size correlates with the size of  _ something else _ .”

Fiyero merely snorted and shrugged.

“Oh,” Elphaba laughed. “I don’t think that’s a scientific fact, you know.” 

“See?” Tibbet shook his head at Crope. “I told you. I don’t think it’s true.” Tibbet said.

“I disagree.” Crope said. “I’ve found that it seems to fit for the most part.”

“I don’t know,” Fiyero commented. “Elphaba has a point. I’ve read articles saying that there really is no correlation.”

“Says you!”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You have  _ huge  _ feet.”

Elphaba swallowed hard and willed herself not to check if that was true and found that the curiosity was killing her.

“And? Please tell me you haven’t been staring at me naked to decide if there’s a correlation!”

“It’s hard not to notice! Just for a second when you were getting dressed the other day, but damn, Fiyero!” Crope laughed. “Is that just a Vinkun thing or…?”

Fiyero cleared his throat harshly. “Crope, not now.”

“But why, it’s not like…” Crope blinked slowly. “Ohhhh. Um, right.” He smiled awkwardly and stared at Elphaba for a moment. 

Elphaba’s face flushed and she willed herself to stop thinking about it, but she couldn’t help it. 

Glinda coughed obviously. “Anyway… 

Later, when they were walking in the quad, he tried to bring it up. “What Crope said…”

“Fiyero, it’s fine. We’re all adults. But you were right to stop him. Perhaps I’d rather figure that out for myself when the time comes.” She raised her eyebrows playfully. She didn’t want to keep talking about it. It only made the awkwardness worse.

He laughed at that. “Well, then. I’m sorry he spoiled the surprise.”

She cackled. “It’s fine.” Elphaba stood on her toes and kissed him before she headed to class. “Lunch tomorrow?”

“Of course.” He kissed her again, this time more deeply. “And Friday night in my room?”

“Can we re-watch that movie? We, um, got distracted and I never really saw the second half of it.” Elphaba wondered if they’d ever finish it, because she knew the two of them would probably get fairly distracted again. Hell, the entire conversation was distracting already.

“Sure.” They parted ways and Elphaba went back to her dorm for an hour or two before her afternoon class.

Galinda was already in the room and gave her a sly smirk when she entered. “So, tell me, Elphie, is it true? What Crope said?”

“You think I know?” Elphaba put her hands on her hips.

“Nah, but I’m dying to find out. Tell me, will you? When you find out?”

“You are far too nosy.” Elphaba warned.

“Call it scientific curiosity.”

“You’re majoring in sorcery and you  _ hate _ science, Glinda.”

“Not all kinds of science.”

Elphaba rolled her eyes. “I do kind of wish Crope hadn’t done that. Poor Fiyero.”

“Poor Fiyero? It certainly doesn’t sound like he has  _ anything _ to worry about.”

“Except the fact that his anatomy was the topic of discussion at lunch, in front of his girlfriend, who he’s barely been dating a week. What about that?”

“Okay, fine, so it was a little uncomfortable. I bet he’ll be making  _ you _ plenty uncomfortable when you find out if it’s true! You’re being such a prude.”

“I’m just saying that’s not a conversation that needs to be happening at lunch!” Elphaba threw her hands in the air. “Did you see the way Avaric looked at him when Crope said that?”

“Avaric’s probably jealous. He slept with one of the Alpha Delta Gamma Phi Kappa girls at that party a few weeks back. Or he would’ve. Except he was a bit premature, if you catch my drift.”

“Why am I not surprised? I figured he had something he was trying to compensate for with the way he talks to women.” Elphaba plopped down in her bed beside her laptop. “I don’t know what to do about this damn paper for sorcery. I have a page left and nothing more to say.”

“I haven’t even started it yet.”

“It’s due tomorrow!”

“I’ll get it done. I always do.” Galinda replied dismissively. “You know, I think I want to go home. Maybe not this weekend. Maybe next weekend. I miss my mom.” Then she covered her mouth. “I mean, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Don’t stress, Galinda. It’s fine to miss your mom. You don’t have to filter your feelings just because my mother is dead.”

“Do you miss her?”

“Sometimes.” Elphaba curled her legs under her. “I was ten, and there were a lot of things later on that my dad had to explain that I’d rather have heard from her. His face when he gave me ‘the talk’ was pretty horrific. I already knew, of course. I was fifteen by the time he got around to that. We took health class in junior high.”

“That sounds pretty awkward.”

“Very.” Elphaba sighed. “I had to deal with telling my sister all of those things. He’d just give me this look or say, ‘I think it’s time she knows.’ I felt bad for Nessie. I feel like maybe, if my mom was around, she might not have turned out so sanctimonious.”

“Your dad is pretty strict, huh?”

“He’s a minister. Of course he is. Or he thinks he is. He could never quite handle me. I always talked back and I never took what he said as gospel. Father never much appreciated that.”

“My parents got divorced when I was young, so I only saw my dad every few weeks, and most of the time my step mom got all of his attention. Do you think your dad might remarry?”

“I doubt it. He’s married to the church. I’m surprised he got married once. Shell will probably be the only one to marry at this point.”

“What about you? Or Nessarose?”

“Nessa will be a maunt. And me? I don’t expect to get married. It’s antiquated, anyway.”

“And how does Fiyero feel about that?”

“Fiyero and I have been dating a week, like I said, and that hasn’t exactly come up.”

“I think one day it might, Elphie. And you might want to rethink how you feel.”


	8. Roommate Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero has a conversation with Crope. Elphaba and Fiyero's date doesn't go exactly as planned.

**Chapter Eight: Roommate Problems**

“Did you have to say that? In front of Elphaba?” Fiyero asked when he walked in that evening.

“It’s true, isn’t it? Or is that normal in the Vinkus? You must have some  _ very _ happy women there.” Crope was barely holding back a laugh.

“Have you ever thought that some girls might be a bit afraid to hear that, though? Too much can hurt just as much as it can feel good.” And that was the problem - not the awkwardness, not the way the others had looked at him. He was worried Elphaba would be scared. Fiyero realized it was something that she’d have to learn eventually, anyway, and decide if she was comfortable with it or not, but it wasn’t something that needed to come out in such a way. “Because I’ve seen both happen.”

“I hadn’t thought about that, really.” Crope admitted. “Look, it was inappropriate. I am sorry. You really think it’ll freak her out?”

“Depends on the girl, generally.” Fiyero shook his head. “And if a girl is freaked out, she tenses up and that does make it painful. So you may have just made her  _ very _ freaked out.”

“Or very interested.”

“I can only hope so,” he muttered. “Friday night I want an IOU again.”

“Why? So you can find out if she’s freaked out or interested?” Crope teased.

“Maybe. I’ll see what happens.”

Elphaba showed up at his door Friday wearing a knee-length skirt and t-shirt, with a smile on her face. She kissed him briefly before she walked in and plopped down on the futon. “It’s been a long week.” She sighed.

Fiyero sat beside her and pulled her against him, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. “Well, now we can relax.” He kissed the top of her head before grabbing for the remote.

“That sounds good.” Elphaba curled her legs under her and closed her eyes for a moment before he nudged her.

“You’ll never finish the movie if you fall asleep.”

“I know, I know.” She opened her eyes wearily. “I’m sorry I’m not great company tonight.”

“We can try again tomorrow if you’d rather sleep.”

“No, no, I want to be with you.” She reached up and kissed him. “I do.”

He fast-forwarded through the movie. “Let me know where we stopped. I’ve seen it so many times I don’t remember which time is which.”

“About there,” she said after a minute. She nuzzled against him and got comfortable. 

“Did you want me to heat up popcorn? I might have some around here.”

“That sounds good.”

He left Elphaba to watch the movie for a moment and threw a bag of popcorn in the microwave. When he came back with the bag, she was still staring intently at the screen. He was somewhat surprised she hadn’t fallen asleep, but she seemed to be riveted. Fiyero was glad. He wanted her to like the movie as much as he did.

But they weren’t meant to finish it that night. He’d forgotten there was a pretty intense love scene, and he found his mind wandering to her body as the lovers on screen were getting busy. Elphaba, apparently, had the same thought, since she began trailing her hand along his chest. “Will you hate me if I get distracted again?” She murmured.

“Absolutely not.” He kissed her, her face in his hands. Fiyero brushed her hair from her face. “I was getting distracted, too.” Slowly, he kissed along her jaw down to her neck. Her head fell back a little and she made a soft noise in her throat. He didn’t bother touching her through her shirt, and instead slid his hand under it eagerly. 

“Mmm,” she purred as he caressed her breasts beneath the lace of her bra. Carefully, he undid the clasps and pulled it out from under her shirt, pushing her shirt up so he could see her breasts, watching them rise and fall as she breathed. Elphaba’s eyes met his and she pulled his shirt over his head, as well, and she slowly touched the diamonds on his chest. “I was wondering if they went lower.”

Pressing his mouth to her ear, he said, “They do.” Fiyero nibbled at her earlobe for a moment and she shifted beneath him, pulling him closer. Then he moved down to kiss the roundness of her breasts, taking a nipple into his mouth as she whimpered. His hand slid up her skirt as one of hers began to unbutton his pants. He stopped her hand for a moment, worried she’d be intimidated. Besides, he wanted to take his time. Fiyero knew well how to use his hands and his mouth. The more eager and wet a woman was, the easier he was to take. 

She didn’t seem put off by the fact that he’d halted her explorations, and she gasped as he tugged at her panties. Her eyes flicked up at his, and he wondered why she looked uneasy. He began to draw away, not wanting to push too far, but her hand guided him up. Fiyero brushed a finger against her mound and groaned.

“You are soaked.”

She flushed. “I’m… I know it’s a lot… I get over-excited…”

That was what had made her uneasy. Fiyero began to slowly circle her clit with one of his fingers and asked, “Do you like knowing you make me hard?”

She nodded.

“Then why wouldn’t I like knowing how wet I make you?”

“It can get messy,” she said. Hesitantly she added, “I also, um… I squirt. Often.”

“I like messy.” It would be easier, too. In fact, it made him want her even more. Fiyero pushed a finger inside her and used his palm to rock against her clit. She was dripping wet, and he bit into her neck, causing her to moan. “It’s hot. Really, Fae.”

“Fae?” She asked, her eyelids half-closed as she clutched his shoulders.

“You told me you hated ‘Elphie,’ so I figured that was better.”

“I like that.” Her breathing was labored, and he wasn’t sure if she was talking about the nickname or the slowly increasing thrusts of his finger. He pressed another finger inside her and finally let her begin to unbutton his jeans. When she clasped her hands around him through his boxers, she said, “Crope wasn’t exaggerating, was he? You’re enormous.”

He chuckled against her skin. “I guess he wasn’t. Does it make you uncomfortable?”

“Just curious,” she replied, sliding her hand into his boxers and touching him. “My gods, I can’t even fit it in my hand.” Before she could do much more, he felt her body tense at his caresses and he realized she was about to come. He sped up, thrusting one more finger inside her, wanting to stretch her enough to accommodate him, because he knew that was where they were headed. She squealed and her hips arched slightly toward him as her body pulsed sweet waves around his fingers and fluid dripped between her thighs. “Oh sweet Oz.”

He kissed her slowly as he drew his hand back, licking his fingers. He usually would’ve tried to taste her more and buried his face in her pussy before fucking her, but he was eager to feel her around him. Fiyero scooted to the edge of the futon and reached for his top dresser drawer for a condom when there was a banging on the door.

Elphaba shot up and pulled away. “Shit.”

Crope’s voice sounded from the other side. “I’m sorry. I forgot something. Is it safe?”

Elphaba pulled her panties up her legs and threw her shirt haphazardly on. She looked over at him as he zipped and buttoned his pants back up. “Um, yes,” she called in a strained voice.

Fiyero was seriously considering murdering his roommate.

The key turned in the lock as Elphaba fiddled with her bra under her shirt, giving Fiyero an apologetic look. Crope entered, looking guilty. “My laptop. I had to work on my mathematics homework and it’s all online… I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”

“It’s fine.” Fiyero muttered, lying through his teeth.

Elphaba’s arms were folded across her chest and she seemed incredibly tense. “Yeah, we were just watching a movie.”

“Sure.” Crope gave Fiyero a look. “A movie.”

“Just get your damn laptop.” He snapped.

“Excuse me. I’ll be going, then.” Crope stuffed his laptop in his bag and went back out the door, shutting it behind him after making a crude hand gesture at Fiyero.

“I’m sorry.” Fiyero looked at Elphaba.

“Don’t be.” She told him. “Look, we still haven’t finished the movie. Besides, maybe I should at least save  _ something _ for the third date?”

He laughed. “If you insist.”

“Oh, I do.” But her eyes flashed with mischief. “However, there is one thing I still want to do.” She crawled back beside him and undid his pants again. “You’ll have to forgive me if I gag a little. I’ve never handled someone of your size before.”

She wasn’t, was she? As Elphaba sank to her knees in front of him, he realized she was. “You don’t have to…”

“Oh, but I want to. You got me off. It’s only fair. I like to reciprocate.” Elphaba tugged both his pants and his boxers down. She wrapped her fingers around him - well, almost - and smiled at him. “Damn.” Her hands slid under his cock and fondled at his balls as he let his eyes drift shut to enjoy the sensation.

“Fae,” he grunted as he felt her lips hesitant on the tip of his cock. Her tongue slipped out and licked a drop of pre-cum off him and he dug his fingers into her hair. “You really don’t have to do this...”

“Shush,” she whispered. “I said I wanted to. Just stop protesting and let me do this.”

And so that is exactly what he did.


	9. A Weekend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba takes advantage of her dorm when Galinda goes out of town for the weekend.

**Chapter Nine: A Weekend**

She hadn’t thought it possible to be as sexually frustrated as she was beginning to get. They could not seem to get alone time. Crope had reserved Fiyero’s dorm for a “date” with Tibbet, and Galinda didn’t seem to get the hint that Elphaba and Fiyero wanted to be left alone that next weekend. At least they finished the movie.

When Galinda said, a week or two later, “I’m going home to Frottica for the weekend,” Elphaba wanted to shout in joy.

Instead, she said, “Oh. That’s good, I guess. Miss your family?”

“Yes, and a few old friends are getting together. It will be a nice reunion, seeing how everyone is doing.”

“That sounds fun.” But she already had her phone out.  _ Galinda is going to be out of town this weekend, if you want to maybe watch a movie here? _ She didn’t know why she bothered saying that. They both knew exactly what was going to happen, and watching a movie was probably not a part of it.

_ Sounds good to me. Friday night? Or Saturday? _

Casually, Elphaba asked, “So you heading back right away Friday? Or waiting until Saturday morning? Is it a long drive?”

“It’s only about an hour. I’ll probably take off right after class Friday afternoon.”

_ Friday night _ . She didn’t want to wait. Elphaba felt like a horny teenager - well, she was, really, but like a younger version of herself. 

_ I’ll be there. _

There were two hours between the time Galinda left and Fiyero was supposed to come by, so Elphaba cleaned her room and then found herself sitting on her bed, restless. She tried to read, or work on her homework, but she could not focus. There was only one thing she wanted to focus on, and he wasn’t there yet. So she primped, which she laughed at even as she did it. Elphaba  _ never _ spent so much time focused on her looks. She oiled her legs one more time, making sure she hadn’t missed a spot when she’d shaved. She sprayed the slightest bit of scented mist on, and then dug through her drawers for the little make-up she had.

She usually wore eyeliner and mascara, but she tended to avoid doing much else. It was hard for her to find products that matched with her skin, anyway, but Galinda had convinced her to try a color-corrector that was green, and it actually matched her skin quite well. She put lipstick on - why, she didn’t know, it would only end up on every part of  _ him _ \- and carefully shaded her eyes. Then she ended up removing half of it. She was trying too hard.

When Fiyero finally arrived, she had only a light lipstick and her usual eyeliner on, which felt more comfortable anyway. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, which was all she’d ever seen him wear outside of the day they met. It didn’t really matter what he wore, anyway. He had a pizza. “I wasn’t sure if you’d eaten yet.”

“Thank you.” Elphaba put the box on her desk. It was plain cheese. He knew she didn’t eat meat. She pulled a slice off and handed it to him, then took one for herself. Elphaba grabbed the remote and tossed it to the bed before sitting down. “Whatever you want to watch.” 

Fiyero flipped through the limited channels provided by the school while they ate. “There’s really not much on, is there?”

“Galinda has some DVDs, but I think they’re all romance movies. You can log into whatever it is you use to play movies. I don’t have an account, though.”

Having finished his pizza, Fiyero plopped onto her bed and looked at her. “We’re not going to watch a movie, are we? You don’t have to act like this.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “No, I really didn’t have any intention of watching much of anything.” Elphaba smiled at him. “I just… I didn’t want to seem like that was all I wanted.”

“It doesn’t. We’ve been seeing each other for a month or so, right? We’re both consenting adults. I don’t care if you only invited me over here for sex, Fae. I was hoping you had.” Fiyero kissed her. “We have plenty of time to watch movies or talk or do anything else later, but right now, I want to focus on you.” Fiyero kissed her deeply. She grabbed him and pulled him down on the bed. He took her invitation and kissed down her neck. 

Elphaba’s hands worked their way up his shirt, feeling his skin beneath her fingers, smooth and strong. She tugged him closer. “Good. because I want to focus on you, too.”

Fiyero threw his shirt off and toward the floor. Her shirt followed quickly. He continued kissing down her shoulder, then her collar. His fingers easily unhooked her bra as his kisses continued over the swell of her breast and her hips arched towards him.

She whimpered. His lips found her nipple and closed around it, lavishing it with kisses and gentle nibbles. She grabbed for him, wanting him desperately. “I am very, very focused.”

He kept kissing down her abdomen and then unbuttoned the top of her jeans. Fiyero’s lips met hers again as his hand slid into her jeans and cupped her mound, one finger slowly teasing her. Her hips jerked against him, wanting more. “You’re soaked again,” he breathed.

Elphaba reached between them to undo his belt and take down his jeans. Through his boxers, she felt him pressing against her, and reached into them. Again surprised at his size, she gasped a little before clasping him in her hands.

Fiyero carefully pulled the jeans down her legs and she kicked them off. His hand slid into her panties and a finger teased her clit as another entered her, drawing in and out in a slow, deliberate rhythm. Elphaba used her other hand to pull her panties completely off, parting her legs further as he shifted to help. 

His kisses lowered again, sliding his tongue in circles around her clit as he slipped a second finger inside her. She moaned. She shuddered as he went to work with his tongue. His attentions were getting close to driving her to madness, and both hands clutching her sheets, she squealed as she fell over the edge, feeling a wave of fluid seep out. He moved through the climax with her, slowly and carefully lapping her juices from her thighs. 

She realized something. “I’m on the pill, but I still would rather be careful and I don’t have a…”

“I do.” Fiyero grabbed his pants off the floor and reached into the pocket. Then he stopped and looked at her. “Elphaba, I don’t… I’m… it might hurt, with my…”

Elphaba looked at him levelly. “I can make that decision myself. I’m not a blushing virgin.”

“I know that, but…”

“Fiyero, I like it a little rough, okay? So if it hurts, I’m game. Now just stop worrying and fuck me.”

That hastened him. He unwrapped the condom and slid it on, climbing back over her. He pressed against her folds and she wrapped her legs around him as he thrust inside her. 

She mewled at the sudden fullness. “Oh gods, Fiyero, yes.”

“You’re perfect.” he told her, moving faster. “You feel absolutely incredible.”

She grabbed at his bottom, pulling him deeper. He was holding back, and she knew it. Elphaba wanted more of him, taking it gladly and without hesitation. “Fuck, so do you. Don’t hold back, I’m begging you. I want it. I want everything you can give me.”

Their hips crashed together as their bodies continued to adjust to each other. He went deeper, as she wanted. Her hands moved up, scratching at his back. He kissed her, breathing hard between kisses. 

“Please, Fiyero, please, please,” she moaned. “I want it, please.” Elphaba reached for him, pulled him into another kiss as his movements became rougher, more intense. She was shaking, unable to control what was happening to her body. This was more than she had thought she could feel, and she was overwhelmed with him, no longer caring if she was acting easy. It was worth it. So, so worth it.

It was as though they’d known each other before, been together and knew just how to please each other. There was no discomfort, only bliss. She was helplessly moving against him, wanting to feel all of him, whimpering softly at each thrust, looking up at him, their eyes meeting and seeing everything, all of her, all of him.

He thrust harder, faster, the bed scraping against the floor at the force of his movements. Fiyero was so deep inside her, slamming into that sweet spot ceaselessly until she couldn’t take anymore and a climax more powerful than she’d ever felt pounded through her, forcing a cry from her throat that she didn’t recognize as her own at first. He grunted as he finished, slowing and collapsing over her. “That was amazing.”

Elphaba was in a haze, her body tingling with the last sensations of orgasm. “Absolutely.”

He kissed her, then rolled over. He took the condom off and tossed it into her trash can. Then Fiyero drew her against him in the small, twin bed. “So, movie now?”

Elphaba laughed. “I’m exhausted. I’ll just fall asleep.”

“Then go ahead.”

“Do you… do you want to stay the night?”

“I’d stay the whole damn weekend.” He kissed the top of her head.

“Please do.” Elphaba smiled up at him. 

“You’d better be able to handle it.”


	10. Post-Marathon Breather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero and Elphaba discuss how their relationship has changed. Everyone settles into the groove of college life.

**Chapter Ten: Post-Marathon Breather**

He left Sunday morning. Elphaba had insisted she needed to clean herself up and the room before Galinda got back, and they both had homework to do before classes on Monday. 

“You have been gone for 36 straight hours, man.” Crope said when he walked in. “You must have been going hard.”

“And if I was?”

“Then good for you. You needed to get laid. Elphaba?”

“Does it matter?”

“Nah, not really. I’m jealous. I only got laid once this weekend. You were gone long enough to have fucked like rabbits.”

He shrugged. “I’m exhausted and I’ve got a lot of work to finish up.” He pulled out his laptop. As he did, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

“I hope that’s not another booty call.”

Fiyero rolled his eyes and looked down. It was Elphaba.  _ I am so sore right now. I can’t walk straight. And yet all I can think about is doing that again. _ He grinned. 

_ I have plenty of IOUs. I can arrange that. _ He’d barely put his phone back in his pocket when it buzzed again.

_ I need time to recover. But I’ll let you know. _

_ I’ll see you at lunch tomorrow, anyway. I can take you out this week if you want - dinner and we can actually watch a movie. Because we never finished the one we started this weekend. _

_ I don’t think I can behave long enough to finish the movie. _

_ Sweet Oz, woman, you’re killing me here. _

“You are smiling like a lovesick puppy. I hope those texts are good.” Crope commented.

“It’s nothing.”

“You know, nothing that you tell me leaves this room. If it was or wasn’t Elphaba, how long you were gone, I won’t say a word.”

“I appreciate that.”

_ I certainly wouldn’t want you dead. I’ll leave you be. Perhaps we both need to recover. See you tomorrow. _

He shook his head and tried to clear his mind and focus on his work.

The next day at lunch, she slid into the seat next to him, and Galinda sat across from them. Both girls gave him a quick smile and went back to a conversation they’d been having before they’d arrived, apparently.

“Galinda, I told you, I don’t use skin cream or that BB cream you’re talking about. They don’t make it in my color, you know.”

“Then how do you have such flawless skin?” The blonde demanded. “There’s no way that’s natural.”

“Flawless? Have you noticed the green?”

“I like it,” Fiyero intervened. 

“You have to use something,” Galinda insisted.

“Nothing.” Elphaba shrugged, then turned to Fiyero. “It’s good to see you.”

“You, too.” He kissed her briefly. “Did you get all your work done?”

“Yes. You?”

“Aw, you two are so cute.” Galinda gushed. “I knew you’d be good together. I’m so glad I helped.”

“I was going to ask her out, anyway, remember?”

“So you say. What did you two do this weekend?”

“Watched a movie.” They both said in unison. Then they looked at each other and laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“It’s just that we didn’t actually watch the movie. Elphaba insisted on  _ talking _ the whole time instead.” Fiyero gave Elphaba a knowing look that she returned.

“Excuse me if I want to  _ talk _ to the person I’m dating. Is that so wrong?”

“Definitely not. I like talking to you. But really, Elphaba, we’ll never finish a movie that way.”

“Fine, fine. I can come by this week and actually watch it if you want. I promise.”

“Good.”

She did come by, Wednesday afternoon. Crope was still there, about to head to his night class. He gave her a long, up-and-down look and smirked a bit, winking at Fiyero. Fiyero quickly got between them and shooed Crope out the door, rolling his eyes.

Elphaba sat down on the futon. “I suppose we really should watch that movie. I… I really am still sore.”

“Yeah, that was quite the marathon this weekend.” Fiyero kissed her slowly. “We’ll do that again sometime soon, but not tonight. I did want to watch this with you, and just talk.”

She nodded, and leaned her head against his shoulder. “I think that would be nice.”

He turned the movie on, and they sat in silence as he held her. Fiyero already knew how the movie went, so he inhaled her, the soft scent of her hair, the tenderness of her skin beneath his fingers. He watched her reactions to the movie, smiling when she laughed at a joke. She seemed so relaxed, and that seeped into him. 

When the movie was over, he clicked off the TV. “Crope doesn’t get back for some time yet. Can we talk about what happened this weekend?”

“What’s there to talk about?”

“It happened, I guess. And really, Fae, at first you seemed a bit uneasy to admit you wanted it.”

Elphaba sighed and sat up a little. “Like I told you, I don’t jump into bed with any man who takes me on a date. It was good, Fiyero, but I didn’t want you to think I was like that. I have no problem with women who are like that, but I’m not that way. I need an emotional connection. With you, it felt like it happened so fast.”

“I feel it too, Elphaba. I get it. There is a lot between us, and it did happen so suddenly. That doesn’t mean it was wrong.”

“And please, Fiyero, remember I’m a minister’s daughter. As much as I try to ignore the stupid things my father says, I was raised to believe lust is a womanly weakness. I disagree, of course, but that was repeated to me over and over for years.” She shrugged.

He hadn’t thought about that. It made a little more sense, now. Fiyero hadn’t wanted her to be afraid of how she felt, and she wasn’t, but it was more intense than either of them had ever expected it would be. “You’re sore, right?”

“Yes.”

“Did I hurt you, Fae?” Fiyero bit his lip. 

Elphaba reached up and brushed a piece of his hair from his forehead. “You’re sweet, you know. I told you, though, when it happened, I can decide what is too much and what isn’t. You shouldn’t worry, you know. You didn’t hurt me at all. I could feel you holding back until I could take more. It’s been awhile, and we really were  _ quite _ active, so yes, I’m sore. But no, I’m not in pain, and I wasn’t then. I thought I made that pretty obvious. I certainly wasn’t crying out for you to stop.”

He smiled. “No, no you weren’t. Quite the opposite. I just… I worried maybe you’d hidden that it hurt because you didn’t want to upset me or ruin the mood.”

“Fiyero, I loved it. You are bigger than most, but you know how to use it. You don’t need to hold back with me. I, um, I get very excited very quickly, and that makes it a lot easier to handle your size. We talked about all of this before it happened.”

He had noticed she’d been so wet she’d practically been dripping down her thighs. “I noticed.” He gave her a devilish grin. 

“Once I get used to this, I’m not opposed to a quickie during the week, even between classes. Just in case you were thinking about it.”

“Sweet Oz, you really are perfect.”

“You told me not to be ashamed, didn’t you? So I’m making it clear what I want.”

The wonderful thing about college was that they lived only one building away from each other, and classes were close. By the next week, they’d found several times when their roommates were out of the room that made time alone very convenient. But they spent time together outside of that, too. They ate lunch with their usual crowd and studied for their common classes.

“So the Wizard dissolved the Hall of Approval?”

“I guess so, since we don’t have one anymore,” Elphaba replied, flipping through her book. “The man is a fascist. I can’t believe someone hasn’t stopped him.”

“We don’t really concern ourselves too much with politics in the Vinkus.”

“Why? What that man is doing affects the entire country and he’s out there inciting all sorts of violence! And he won’t show his face? How do people go along with this crap? Have you heard how he talks about the Animals? I mean, he’s degrading every minority he can. He’s just a bully.”

Fiyero put a hand on her knee. “Calm down, hun.”

“I can’t! This is the world we live in and it’s terrible.”

Galinda, who’d been sitting with her headphones in on the bed, flipping through her phone, looked up. “Elphie, even I can hear you.”

Elphaba took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I get worked up about these things. This is our country he’s destroying, after all.”

“My parents love the man,” Galinda commented.

“Your parents have been brainwashed,” Elphaba replied.

“Elphie!” Galinda cried.

“Maybe it’s best not to insult her parents…” Fiyero said gently.

“How can no one care? Why are people so hateful that they believe his drivel?” Elphaba groaned.

“Look, I know you’re upset about this.” This wasn’t the first time she’d gone off on a rant about the Wizard. He understood her feelings, but he tried not to let politics take over his life, which was amusing considering he was a prince. “But maybe this isn’t the time.”

“Then when? It’s not going to fix itself!”

He grabbed her hand tightly. “I know, I know.” Fiyero gave Galinda a look. They both knew there was no use in trying to reason with her at this point. She’d worked herself up too much and needed to be distracted. “But I really need help with this. Explain how it was formed, again for me.”


	11. Fall Complications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Galinda misjudges the state of Fiyero and Elphaba's relationship. Everyone makes plans for the fall holidays.

**Chapter Eleven: Fall Complications**

It was several days before the fall holidays when Galinda started acting strange, and  _ very _ quiet. This only lasted two days, but the tension in their room was too much to bear and Elphaba decided it was time to force the issue. “Galinda, what in Oz is wrong with you?”

Her roommate had been fiddling around on her laptop, sighing occasionally. She jumped a little when Elphaba spoke. “It’s… oh, Elphie, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”

“Insisting on getting you together with Fiyero. I thought he was good for you.”

“He is. What’s the problem?” Elphaba was only more confused by this outburst.

“He’s… he’s cheating on you. Oh, Elphie, it’s terrible and I’m so sorry, but I have to tell you. You’re my friend and I know you’d do the same for me. I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you, but nothing sounded right!” Galinda’s voice was shrill.

Elphaba stared at her roommate, too shocked to respond. She swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest. He wouldn’t… would he?

“I… I heard it.” Galinda’s voice softened. “I’m sorry.”

Elphaba had a sneaking suspicion she knew what was going on now. “What did you hear? When?”

“Fiyero left his notebook here on Monday evening and I found it Tuesday morning. I went over after my morning class to return it, but there was a sock on the door. I know boys do that when they have company.”

Elphaba had been in Fiyero’s room just before lunch that day. Galinda didn’t know that. She wanted to laugh. “And you know it was Fiyero how? It could’ve been Crope and Tibbet.”

“I heard him. I know his voice, Elphie. He’s always in here.”

“Galinda, you’re right. He was in there. I was with him.”

“Elphie, don’t lie to me. I heard him say things. I heard him call her ‘Fae,’” Galinda said insistently.

“That’s his nickname for me. I hate Elphie, and unlike you, he actually respects that. Galinda, that was me. I can repeat some of the things you might’ve heard if you don’t believe me.” Elphaba cackled. “You thought he was cheating?”

“Well, I mean, I thought… You’re always so… I kind of thought you were a virgin.”

“Galinda, I’ve told you I’m not your average minister’s daughter. I don’t follow my father’s rules. Fiyero and I have been intimate. And he wasn’t the first.”

“Oooh, I thought you’d tell me! I asked you to tell me.”

“I wasn’t just going to volunteer ‘oh, yeah, by the way, Galinda, Fiyero and I had sex the other day,’ or something like that!”

“Why not? I want details. Was it good?”

“More than good.” 

“I’m jealous. All the guys interested in me here just… they’re so boring. I need to live vicariously through you. Please tell me it’s as big as Crope implied that one time.”

“Oh, it definitely is.” Elphaba couldn’t believe they were having this discussion. 

“My last boyfriend, back home, he was a bit small. He wasn’t bad in bed or anything, and he tried to compensate for it. I never really wanted to tell him, but he never once made me come. It felt nice, of course, but it was seriously disappointing.”

Elphaba hadn’t had a friend to compare experiences with, or discuss the private details. “That’s sad. I’m sorry.”

“Well, my ex before that, though, he wasn’t half bad.” Galinda leaned forward on her arms. “Tell me more about Fiyero. It sounds hot.”

“I can’t even begin to describe it. The first time, he went down on me and didn’t expect anything in return. That was refreshing.”

“Lucky! It must be the Vinkun in him. I heard those men are animals in bed. Does he have any friends back home he wants to bring here?” Galinda laughed. “I’m so glad we’re talking, Elphie.”

“Me, too. It’s nice.” She felt normal, feminine, like these sort of conversations were what she’d been missing her whole life. 

“Do you two ever spend time in here between classes?”

“Not much. Crope has been gone a lot more lately. He’s usually in Tibbet’s room. And I don’t want you walking in on anything. We don’t really have a system like the boys do.”

“We can if you want. We have that dry-erase board outside. Just draw a little smiley face when you two are getting busy.”

Elphaba raised her eyebrows. “Really?”

“Really. But I expect the same treatment when I finally find a boyfriend.”

“Deal!”

Still, Elphaba didn’t want to abuse the privilege, so they spent most of their time in Fiyero’s room if they were getting intimate. It was nice to get out of her room, and Crope was rarely around during the day. He spent his days at the shop working on sets for the stage, and then his night’s with Tibbet. That left Elphaba and Fiyero with all the time they needed to be alone.

Elphaba stretched on Fiyero’s bed. “Well, I guess I’d better get back to my room, anyway. I need to pack for tomorrow. I promised to give Boq a ride back, too.” She wrinkled her nose. “If he keeps going on about Galinda again, I might lose my mind. I am  _ not _ looking forward to this - the drive or the visit home. But it’s only a four-hour drive and I have no excuse not to go home.”

“By the time I made all the flights, I’d have no time with my family. I’m stuck here. At least it’ll be quiet.” But there was disappointment in his voice.

They’d been dating two months. She wasn’t ready to bring him home, to let him meet her disaster of a family. But he shouldn’t be alone for the Great Feast of Oz, either. And her father would say they should share their table, as the Unnamed God was all about charity (unless you were a sinner, which just about everyone was). There was room in her car, and a bedroll that could be rolled out in Shell’s room. Would he freak out? Was that too serious to ask?

“I can see the gears working, Elphaba, what is it?” He nudged her.

“If… If you want, you could come home with me. Not in a ‘meet my dad’ sort of way, just so that you’re not stranded here alone for the holiday. There’s room in the car. The accommodations at my house are probably not what you’re used to.” She shouldn’t have asked. This was a terrible idea.

“Really?”

“You don’t have to. I was just offering because you seemed sad about being here. I won’t be hurt if you don’t want to.” She assured him. She hoped, in a way, that he didn’t want to.

“I’d like that, actually.”

“I’ll let my father know you’ll be joining us.” Elphaba bit her lip. “Fiyero, if we tell my father that we’re dating, he’s going to be more unpleasant. If I tell him you’re a friend I met, he might be better about it. He’s not fond of me dating at all, really.”

“Is that what you want? To hide it?”

“I’m giving you that option. My father is intense, and I want you to be comfortable.” Elphaba knew her father would not handle the fact that Fiyero was Vinkun very well, especially if he knew they were dating. 

“Whatever you want,” he decided.

She had a feeling there was a lot of meaning to that decision, and she didn’t want to make the wrong statement by choosing the wrong thing. On one hand, if she told Fiyero she wanted to hide it, it would seem like she was ashamed of him, but if she did choose to tell, it might seem like she took things more seriously than he wanted and she didn’t want to seem too into him if he wasn’t that into her. This was far too complicated. “Fiyero, that’s a nice gesture. We’ll just see. You’re certain you want to come?”

“Yes.”

There was one more sensitive subject to approach, then. “I’d also like to make it clear that I will not be sleeping with you under my father’s roof.”

“I expected as much. I had no intention of trying anything.” He kissed her cheek. “I can be a good boy.”

“Even if you hate it?”

“Even if I hate it.”

And so the three of them took off in her car Friday just after lunch. Her father had been curt when she’d spoken to him on the phone about bringing someone along. She did mention it was a boy, although she did not give more detail than that. Elphaba still didn’t know what she was going to say when she introduced Fiyero.

Boq sat in the back seat, his eyes closed and his large headphones covering half his face. He claimed that he got motion sickness in cars and this was the best way to keep him from getting ill. Elphaba didn’t argue - it meant he’d be quiet and wouldn’t vomit all over her car. As she drove, she focused on preparing Fiyero for the ordeal of meeting her family.

“Try not to stare at Nessarose. She tries so hard to seem normal, and much of the time she does with careful dressing. But the prosthetics can be dreadfully obvious, and the back brace is so bulky you can see it under just about anything she wears. They keep her upright, but she does stumble a little more than most people. She’s sweet, I promise.”

“Fae, you’ve told me about your family before. I can handle it.”

“Well, it’s one thing hearing about them. Actually being there and seeing them? That’s a bit harder.” Elphaba shrugged. “Now, as for Nanny, she’s hard to read. She might like you, though. Nanny was my mother’s nurse, and came to help her after she had me. She’s a feisty old woman, though.”

“Well, then.”

“And my father… he… well, I think he has a bit of a ‘not in my home’ mentality. He knows I don’t believe in his god, he knows I don’t follow his rules, but when I’m in the house, I have to and that’s how it works.”

“That’s not too bad.”

“It took a few years to get to that point,” she explained. “I think he gave up disciplining me and trying to monitor my every move.”

“Everyone has to have fun sometime.”

“This is not going to be fun.” Elphaba warned him unhappily. This was not going to be fun at all.


	12. Family Matters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba reluctantly returns home with Fiyero in tow.

**Chapter Twelve: Family Matters**

As they pulled up to Elphaba’s house, he saw her face turn dark with embarrassment. It wasn’t even really a house, it was more like a hovel. The siding was rotting and falling off, there was a taped-up window off to one side. There were cracks in the tar on the driveway, and they had no garage.There was a single, ancient car parked in the driveway. They lived next to several farms on a small plot of land. 

Hoping to ease her shame, Fiyero gently put a hand on her knee and smiled at her when she looked over at him after turning the car off. She gave a forced smile back and took a deep breath before opening the door and getting out of the car. Elphaba grabbed her backpack from the trunk of the car, and Fiyero grabbed his. “Here we go,” she muttered as they walked up the front steps and she twisted a key into the door.

The inside of the house was in the same shape as the outside. All of the fixtures, tile and furniture were decades old and in clear disrepair. As they walked in, a head poked out of a doorway - a boy of about ten. Shell. That was her brother’s name. He cocked his head and stared for a moment before saying, “Fabala!”

Elphaba broke into a more genuine smile. “Shell, look at how you’ve grown in only two months! You’re getting so tall.” She gave the little boy a hug. “Go tell Father that we’re here?”

“Of course!” He ran off down a hallway to the left.

Elphaba turned to him. “He’s not a bad kid.”

“He seems nice,” Fiyero agreed.

A moment later, a thin, haggard man appeared. Elphaba’s father was middle-aged, but his fanaticism and missionary work had aged him. Beside him stood a pink, brunette girl of about fifteen or sixteen, a shawl draped over her shoulders. Her face was bright upon seeing Elphaba. Behind the girl was an older lady, stooped and drawn. There was a sparkle in her eye, a small upturn of the corners of her mouth, like she was always amused.

“Dad,” Elphaba immediately drew herself up, stiff and uncomfortable. “It’s nice to be home. As I told you, I brought a visitor. This is Fiyero, a Vinkun prince - of the Arjiki tribe. We met at school, he’s…”

“I’m her boyfriend,” Fiyero said bluntly. He had decided on the drive up that he was going to be upfront and honest. He didn’t want to put on a show for her family, and he knew she wouldn’t want him to. So he stuck out his hand to shake.

Her father frowned at him, but took his hand limply with obvious distaste. “A prince, did you say?”

“Just in name, truthfully. The king in my tribe at this point is mostly just a figurehead. We are actually in the process of establishing a Parliament of sorts.” Fiyero put an arm around Elphaba’s waist, his hand resting on her hip. She seemed to relax a bit, though only for a moment.

“We’ve been dating for a little while.” Elphaba told her father, eyes level.

“You’ve been at school not even three months. How long is ‘a little while,’ then?” Frex folded his arms across his chest.

“We met the first day, actually. But we spent some time getting to know one another before I asked her on a date,” Fiyero informed him. 

“Why don’t you put your things in Shell’s room? I’ll get the bedroll and put it in there later.” Frex waved him towards a small room. Elphaba followed and tossed her things into a room next to him before meeting him in the hall.

“You told him,” she said simply.

“I did.”

He thought he detected a smile in that sweet mouth, but she turned toward the living room. “Come on. My father will probably interrogate you now that he knows.”

“Does he know you’ve had boyfriends before?”

“Not to the extent you’re asking about, no he does not. He probably suspects as much, though.” Elphaba tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Frex was sitting on an old recliner and Elphaba sat herself down on the couch. Fiyero sat beside her, looking over at a television that was, surprisingly, less than a decade old. Nessa was nowhere in sight, nor was Shell or the old woman. This made Fiyero uneasy. Elphaba’s father’s arms were still crossed over his chest, and he was sitting up fairly straight. “I have a few questions. My daughter hasn’t ever really brought a boy home before, you understand.”

Fiyero nodded.

“And, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’ve never met a Vinkun before. This is a very new experience for me, you know.”

“I understand.”

“Good. Now we’re on the same page. Here in my household, we worship the Unnamed God. We do  _ not _ partake in anything unbecoming or sinful. I will not have you acting too familiar toward my daughter.”

“Dad…” Elphaba groaned. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“No, he’s right. I promise I will be completely respectful at all times.” Fiyero assured the man. “I never had any intention of behaving any other way, anyway.” He gently took Elphaba’s hand again. “Thank you for having me, by the way.”

Frex nodded simply. “So, tell me about yourself, Fiyero. You said you were a prince. What about your beliefs?”

“Dad, please don’t start with that. Why does it matter?” Elphaba demanded.

“It’s fine, Fae,” Fiyero said. “We don’t really have much religion in the Vinkus. However, I do respect the faiths and beliefs of other people. And I will and do respect yours.”

“That’s fair, I suppose. How did you meet my daughter, exactly?”

“I ran into her on campus the first day and we got to talking. And we kept running into each other and were in a class together.”

“And your intentions?”

“Dad, he’s not going to have  _ intentions _ aftering dating me such a short time. People date just to date. Don’t act like this.”

Fiyero didn’t argue on that point.

“Fine, fine. Well, I understand the sin that goes on at college. I’m not ignorant. And I know my daughter isn’t as innocent as she wants me to think.”

“Dad!” Elphaba’s eyes were wide with horror.

“You will pay for your sin when you meet the Unnamed God.” Frex told her dismissively. “But as I said, you will not touch her in anyway that is not considered chaste while you are under this roof.”

Elphaba threw her hands in the air and sighed heavily, but she seemed to have given up arguing with her father.

“I understand, Sir.” 

Later, they sat together alone (with the doors wide open) in the living area with the TV on. Elphaba said in a low voice. “I didn’t know he’d be that bad. He made it sound like we were about to walk down the aisle, for Oz’s sake! For all his claims about knowing what goes on at college, he certainly doesn’t understand certain things - like the fact that people don’t make commitments like that after two months. It was different when he was younger, and in his religion.”

“He was just trying to look out for you.” He took her hand in his.

“He was  _ trying _ to look out for his beliefs and make sure I don’t embarrass him, Fiyero.”

“It doesn’t matter what he was doing, does it? I like to think I held up to his questioning fairly well, anyway.”

She smiled sweetly. “You did.” After a moment, she added, “That thing he said about my not being innocent… that was a surprise. I thought he pretty much ignored anything I did when I was in high school.”

“Even if he did ignore you, I’m pretty sure he at least understands how teenagers are in general, in high school and then in college.”

“Fair enough. Besides, what was he expecting? That I’d wait until I got married? I don’t even want to get married. Ever.”

He cocked his head. “Not ever?”

“Why? It’s a stupid piece of paper. I don’t see why people need it. If a piece of paper is all that’s keeping you together, maybe that’s the problem. You know?”

Fiyero was quiet. He had no idea where their relationship was going. He liked her. Marriage was not on his mind. But he did understand that, at some point, he was expected to get married. That was a part of being a prince. 

“Fiyero?”

“Hmm?”

“You spaced out.”

He decided maybe they’d worry about that if it ever came to it. And there was a  _ lot _ of time before that would be the case. Besides, he agreed with her reasoning. “Sorry. I get what you were saying.”

Nessa walked into the room slowly and awkwardly. “Good evening.”

“Good evening, Nessie.” Elphaba lit up a little every time she saw her sister. They’d spent a bit more time talking with the rest of the family during dinner that evening, and Fiyero was much more fond of Nessa than he was of Frex - although that wasn’t exactly a hard achievement. 

Nessa sat down across from Elphaba and Fiyero in a large chair. “What are you watching?”

“I have no idea,” Elphaba laughed. “We were talking, really. That seems to be all that happens with us.” She threw a playful look at Fiyero. “We never really watch what’s on, do we?”

“You’re talkative,” he said simply, returning the look.

Nessa giggled at that. “Fabala has always been very outspoken, so that doesn’t surprise me.” She paused, and looked at Fiyero for a moment. “You seem very nice, Fiyero.”

“Well, thank you.”

“Nessarose?” Nanny stood in the doorway. “Your father asked me to find you. He said it was time for prayers.”

“Oh! Of course!” Nessa leapt off the chair. “I’ll go tend to him.” To Elphaba and Fiyero, she said, “I’ll talk to you later. There’s so much to catch up on!”

“Nessa, you talk to me every day.” Elphaba reminded her.

“I know, I know, but it’s so different in person.” Nessa left, but Nanny stayed in the doorway, staring at them for a moment before grinning strangely and leaving.

Quickly, Elphaba kissed Fiyero’s cheek. “You’re too good,” she said.

“You are,” he replied softly.


	13. Feast of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiyero and Elphaba have a holiday meal with her family. Elphaba decides to break a rule.

**Chapter Thirteen: Feast of Love**

The Great Feast Day was a long day in the Thropp house. Elphaba helped Nanny in the kitchen while her father set the table. Fiyero had offered to help, but Elphaba had refused. He was a guest in their home, and she didn’t want him to feel like he had to do anything while he was there. He sat watching cartoons with Shell in the living room, looking down at his phone or over at Elphaba, throwing her a smile every time she walked by. Nessa sat in her room, preparing the prayers they were to say over the food.

By the time the meal was prepared, it was later than most families would be starting to eat. She was surprised Fiyero hadn’t complained of being hungry. The prayers over the food took another half hour - the food was almost frigid when they finally bit into it, but Fiyero didn’t seem to mind. He sat beside her, put his hand over hers while they all talked over the meal. They all had a glass or two of wine, as was decreed by the Unnamed God. Faces were flushed, people laughed. It wasn’t nearly as tense or as awful as she’d thought it was.

Her father, Nanny, Shell and Nessa all went off to bed while Fiyero and Elphaba stayed up talking. Frex was apparently too inebriated or cheerful to give them a lecture like he usually would have. 

Due to time differences, Fiyero needed to stay up to video chat with his parents. He introduced them to Elphaba, and they talked for a few minutes and exchanged pleasantries before Fiyero decided to log off.

“Your parents seem nice,” Elphaba commented. “They must miss you a lot.”

“They do, I think. But my brother is plenty to handle at his age, so I think they keep pretty well occupied.” He laughed. “Your sister is very kind,” Fiyero observed.

“Sanctimonious, but kind,” Elphaba laughed. “I love her, though.”

“I can tell.” Fiyero laughed. “I’ve never been that close with my brother. It’s probably the age gap.”

“Like it is with Shell for me, then. And maybe… well, Shell is normal. Nessie and I have our strangeness in common, I guess.”

Fiyero kissed her lips briefly. “I like your strangeness.”

Elphaba met his eyes and chewed at her lip. Everyone was asleep, or close to it. And he was here. She had her own room - Nessa and Nanny shared one. It was right next to her father’s room, but she knew her way around the house well enough to avoid him hearing anything. So she reached up and kissed him again. “Come to my room.”

His eyes lit up, but he said, “You said you wouldn’t, not under your father’s roof.”

“So damn respectful,” Elphaba laughed. “Maybe I changed my mind. If you don’t mind the floor, that is. The bed would shake too much.”

He kissed her neck tenderly. “I don’t mind at all.”

“We’ll have to be quiet.” She warned him.

“I will if you will,” he replied. 

She held her hand out to him and they walked into her room. She shut the door behind them and nudged her doorstop in front of the door - there was no lock, her father had never allowed it. But she’d never really found a need for it. Elphaba pulled Fiyero onto the rug beside her bed and kissed him. He kissed her back and she moved herself over him, unbuttoning the top button on his shirt, but no more. She didn’t want to risk her father coming in and finding them completely naked on the floor. Elphaba kissed down his neck and smiled at him in the dark, both of them barely visible.

His hands went to her hips and pulled her shirt over her head. He slid his hand up under her bra, cupping her breast and teasing the nipple with his thumb - first one, then the other. She shifted so she could pull his pants and boxers down to his knees, taking him in her hands. She heard his breath catch. “Fae, I didn’t bring any…”

“And I wouldn’t have, either. I certainly wouldn’t keep any condoms here. Imagine my father finding them! But I’m on the pill. And I trust you. If you’re fine with that.” She’d never done this without a condom, and she did want to know what it felt like. 

“More than fine. I’ve wanted to feel you around me, nothing between us.” His voice was low, barely a grumble in the dark. 

“Me, too.” She threw her head back for a moment as one of his hands pushed up her skirt and teased her skin. Elphaba didn’t want to waste time with much foreplay - she was wet enough already, anyway. She slid her hand down and pulled her panties off, positioning herself over him. She bit her lip as she slid down onto him, painfully aware of the fact that she couldn’t make a sound. Elphaba wanted to moan, to whimper, to cry out. He felt incredible, the heat from him, the way the veins in his cock caressed her… everything she hadn’t felt before. It was like sex was suddenly amplified to a higher level of bliss, something she’d never thought possible.

“Gods…” He muttered, his hands on her hips. “I’ve never felt…”

“I know,” she whispered. Carefully, she began rocking back and forth on him, closing her eyes. Elphaba angled herself so her clit brushed against him, and purred softly as it did. She slid up and down, slowly at first. Her breathing got labored and she grabbed his shoulders for support, moving faster. Her skin tingled at the sweet sensation, the friction of their bodies. Their bodies slickened with sweat and fluid as she climbed higher, higher and shook around him, feeling her body tense, the way she shot juices around him, dripping down both of them as she shuddered in a climax more intense than she’d ever felt.

Fiyero rolled over her and kept moving, her swollen folds abuzz with energy. It wasn’t long before her heightened senses went into overdrive and she was clenching her teeth to keep from crying out, clenching his bottom with her hands, clenching around him as he clenched inside her, spilling and coursing through her. As she trembled, coming down from the incredible high, she let go of his bottom and gently traced his jaw. He took her hand and kissed it, still inside her. “Damn.”

She felt sticky, even more than usual, and realized she hadn’t put much thought into the mess she’d now have to clean up. “I’m going to need to bathe.”

“Me, too.” He chuckled and kissed her nose. “Elphaba, you are amazing.”

She was still too delirious to reject the compliment and merely replied, “So are you, Fiyero.” Elphaba shifted her hips slightly and let him pull out, feeling both of their fluids seeping from between her legs. She kissed him once more and made to stand. “You shouldn’t stay in here, though. I wish you could…”

“I do, too. Where are your oils?” He fumbled in the darkness.

“I’ll handle it. You should shower.”

“I can use the oil; it’s fine.”

“No, you can’t. Fiyero, the oil gives a gleam to your skin - you’ve used it before. It might be obvious in the morning. Take a shower. If anyone asks why you showered so late, say you were up talking to your parents and decided to the minute you got off the phone with them. That’s all.” Elphaba carefully retrieved her clothing and threw them into her clothes hamper. “That was so good,” she murmured. She opened a jar of oil.

“Absolutely,” he replied. Fiyero pulled her against him in a heady kiss. “Goodnight, Fae. I’ll see you in a few hours at breakfast?”

“Of course.” She watched him walk out the door before beginning her cleansing ritual. When she was finished, she placed a pad in her panties to protect them from the fluid still dripping down her legs. Elphaba hugged herself and let out a satisfied sigh.

She had never been that reckless before, but it had been the most amazing feeling. Elphaba had a feeling they wouldn’t be needing condoms much anymore. She sat down on her bed and grinned a little.

That hadn’t just been lust, though, at least not for her. Doing what she had done had meant trusting him in a way she had never trusted someone before. She could play it off as being horny, getting overwhelmed, but it wasn’t. Elphaba realized something, something that both scared her and thrilled her. She thought… she thought she might love him.


	14. Matters of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elphaba and Fiyero have a few important conversations. Both of them return to their separate homes for the winter holidays.

Chapter Fourteen

“You know, we can still get a second plane ticket for the Lurlinemas Holidays…” His mother said suggestively.

Fiyero rolled his eyes and looked back at the screen. “Mom, we talked about this. She’s not coming home with me this time. Maybe she can come for a little over the summer. Her family is very religious and her father would not like her being away for the holiday.”

“I thought they weren’t Lurlinist, though?” His father asked, adjusting the camera slightly.

“They aren’t. But there’s still an important holiday around that time in Unionist tradition, as well. I promise you’ll meet her soon enough.” He smiled. “Besides, you’ve spent enough time video-chatting with the both of us.” And that was true. Since he’d introduced Elphaba to his parents via video over the Great Feast Day break, they’d asked about her constantly and wanted to talk to her plenty. She’d been great about it, and she seemed to like his parents. But he wasn’t ready to bring her home.

After seeing where she lived, he realized that the elegance in which he lived might overwhelm her. Despite how much she tried to hide it, it was fairly obvious that her family’s financial status did make her embarrassed at times. Seeing Kiamo Ko would only exacerbate that, and he knew it. He wanted her to meet his parents in person, but he wasn’t sure Kiamo Ko was the place for it. Fiyero didn’t do extravagance on his own, and he managed to keep all of that away from his life at Shiz. At Kiamo Ko, the differences in their lifestyles and upbringings would be painfully clear. He wanted her to have more time to adjust.

He was also aware that they were moving very fast. Fiyero didn’t mind it - it felt natural with her. But occasionally he was reminded that they had only been together a few months. Crope had given him a hard time about it, at one point. “It just happened,” Fiyero had replied. And that was the truth. She had appeared in his life on the first day here, and she’d been unavoidable ever since. He liked it that way.

“Well, fine. But we expect to meet her. You’re in love with her, after all.”

He laughed. “Mom, don’t go walking us down the aisle already.” Although he was fairly certain he was, in fact, in love with her. He didn’t deny it. It was true. He simply hadn’t told her yet. Fiyero would get around to it, probably after the holidays. 

Crope walked in as Fiyero was closing his laptop. “Talking to your parents again?”

“Yeah. They’re excited to see me next week.” He shrugged. “You ready? I mean, aside from finals? It’s a month.”  
“I am _so_ ready. What about you? At least Tibbet lives nearby. _You_ won’t be getting laid for a month.” Crope teased.

“I think I’ll survive.”

“I’m sure you two will talk every day, anyway. It’s sickening.”

“Says you.” Fiyero snorted. “You’re still dating your high school sweetheart.”

“True.” Crope plopped onto the futon. “You going to miss her?”

“Yes. I’m going to miss her. You did have a point about the whole not getting laid thing.” Fiyero joked. “And, you know, I do kind of like her. A lot.”  _ Or love her _ .

“She’s one-of-a-kind, that’s for sure. I didn’t see it at first, and now… it’s like the two of you were meant for each other.”

“Um, thanks?” Fiyero drummed his fingers on his desk. “Speaking of Elphaba, I should go. I promised I’d stop by her room this evening.” Galinda was going to be at some sorority pledge thing, which meant they’d get to be alone.

“Of course.” Crope winked. “Get in as much as you can before break, huh?”

He smiled sheepishly. “Something like that.”

A few hours later, Elphaba threw her clothes back on and said casually, “I love you.”

He froze and cocked his head at her. Fiyero was still zipping his pants, and almost caught himself in the zipper. “Fae?”

“Please don’t make a big deal out of this,” she said softly. “I just… I needed to say it. I’m sorry if it freaks you out.” She met his eyes, and he realized how vulnerable she was in that moment. Elphaba had tried to be off-the-cuff about it, to simply throw the words out, but he realized how much it mattered to her. “I’ve been trying to figure out when to say it. I just… it almost came out when I… I didn’t want to spring it on you in the middle of sex.”

Fiyero cupped her cheek. “I love you, too.”

“You don’t have to say it just because I did.”

“No, Fae, I do. I was in the same place, trying to figure out when to tell you.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “I’ve known for a little while now.”

“Me, too. Since my house - in my room, that night on the floor.” She flushed. “I mean, it probably happened before that, but that’s when I knew.”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “Then we’re on the same page.” 

Fully dressed now, Elphaba opened the door and wiped the smiley face from the dry erase board and shut the door again. She sat down on her bed and curled her legs under her. “Does it ever feel like we moved too fast, though?”

He sat beside her. “It feels like a whirlwind, yes. But not in a bad way.”

“Would you think I was being ridiculous if I said it scares me a little?”

“No.” He wrapped her in his arms. “It’s… it’s a lot, you and me. Unexpected. Sudden. Amazing.”

She laughed. “Yes, all of those.”

“It’s not bad, though.”

“It’s not.” Elphaba kissed him. “I love you. I’m glad I said it.”

“I am, too. And I love you, too.”

There was a clicking sound as Galinda unlocked the door and strode in, looking a bit disheveled, but happy. “Good evening, you two.” She smiled at them widely.

“Hey, Galinda.” Fiyero said.

“Hey,” Elphaba grumbled. “You were drinking, weren’t you?”

Galinda shrugged. “A little. All the pledges had to.”

“Sounds like hazing to me.”

“Everything the girls do sounds like hazing to you.”

“Maybe because it is.”

Galinda huffed. “Whatever. Fiyero, how are you?”

“Deflecting,” Elphaba muttered.

Rubbing her shoulder, Fiyero forced a smile at Galinda. “I am doing fine. Are you ready for break?”

“Very!” Galinda beamed. “I can’t wait for a break. And Elphie…” She frowned. “Well, at least it means you won’t have to walk to any classes in the snow.”

She laughed. “That’s true. I hate that. It’s so unpredictable and it floats. Rain takes a fairly straight path and I can manage to block it.” Elphaba turned toward the window. “At least it’s been clear the last few days. But you’re still deflecting.”

“So what if I am? It’s a stupid argument. We disagree. It is what it is.” Galinda insisted. “Anyway, you two were clearly busy in here before I came in.” She gestured to the bed, which was still damp with the various fluids from lovemaking. “I don’t judge you for  _ that _ .”

“Two consenting adults. Nothing illegal. Hazing is illegal, no matter if your stupid sorority sisters want you to or not!” Elphaba snapped.

Fiyero sighed. “Maybe you two should just agree to disagree. Galinda doesn’t bring her sorority friends in here or do anything crazy, does she?”

“Of course I wouldn’t!” Galinda said.

“Then as long as she doesn’t, perhaps it’s best to ignore it.” Fiyero got up. “Anyway, I need to get a little sleep. I have an early final tomorrow.” He leaned down and kiss Elphaba one last time. “Love you, Fae.”

She flushed before saying, “Love you, too.”

He nodded toward Galinda, who was now examining them both quite closely. “Bye, Galinda.” He left, and was fairly certain he heard a squeal just after he shut the door. Fiyero chuckled to himself. 

Being home was everything he had missed. He had certainly missed the delicious, spicy meals; Vinkun food was hard to find at Shiz, and he didn’t have the means to make much of anything himself outside of cereal. There were no stoves or ovens in the freshmen dorms. They were expected to live off their meal plans.

He video-chatted with Elphaba daily and she often talked to his parents, as well. His mother constantly asked her to come visit and she would smile at her and reply that she’d get something in the works. A month without her was too long, Fiyero thought, and he hoped she would come visit over the summer. 

Early one morning his phone vibrated. He yawned and grabbed for it from his bedside table. It was a text from Elphaba.  _ I miss you… _ His eyebrows raised as the various, semi-suggestive emojis, especially since she rarely used emojis.

_ I miss you, too, Fae.  _ He thought for a moment.  _ Video chat? _

Her face came up on his screen almost immediately. It was brighter in Munchkinland, as they were a few hours ahead. It must be nine or so there. She smiled at him. “Hey.”

He smiled back. “Hey.” He noticed her shoulders were bare. “Are you… alone?”

“Everyone just left for church.” She shifted the phone so he could almost see her breasts. “And I thought maybe we could talk.”

“Talk? Or have phone sex? I don’t think I’ve ever done that.” Fiyero laughed. “But I am definitely up for it.” He wasn’t sleepy anymore. His chest was bare, as he slept shirtless anyway. He ran his hands through his hair quickly.

“Well, I wasn’t going to suggest it, but now that you mention it, it sounds like a very good idea.” She pulled the phone back more and he saw she was completely naked.

“Oh, you weren’t?” Fiyero laughed. “It certainly looks like you had a plan.”

She shrugged. “Does it matter?”

“No.”

“What would you do if you were with me right now?”

Fiyero had a good imagination. “I would pull you toward me and kiss you. I’d slip my tongue in your mouth and taste you.” He could taste her as he spoke. “I’d touch you, first I’d have my hands on your waist, but then trace my fingers over your belly, then your ribs. I’d cup your breasts in my hands as I trail my mouth down your neck and collar until I reach those sweet breasts of yours.”

Elphaba had propped her phone on something so she didn’t have to hold it. Her eyes were closed and she was touching her breasts. “That sounds good. I’d have my hands all over you. I love feeling the muscles on your chest. Eventually, I’d start unbuttoning your pants.”

“If I was just wearing boxers?” Fiyero gave her a glimpse as her eyes peeked open.

“I guess I’d pull them down.” Elphaba licked her lips.

Fiyero grabbed his cock in his hands, stroking it. “And then what?”

“I’d touch your cock. I’d grasp it in my hands, so big, and then I’d circle my hands around it and begin teasing you.”

“Mmm, my hands would go back down, open your legs, and place a finger inside you, moving it back and forth until I could slip another finger, and then another.”

Elphaba was touching herself, her hands mimicking his words. She whimpered softly. “I’d be begging to feel your cock inside me.”

“And I’d have to obey. I’d bury my cock deep inside of your sweet, wet pussy.” Fiyero could practically feel her as he watched her pleasure herself. He kept stroking himself. “I’d give it to you hard, Fae. You’d be moaning.”

She whimpered again, her hands moving faster. “I’d wrap my legs around you, taking you so deep inside me. You’re so big, you fill me… oh!” 

He watched eagerly as she came, his hands going at a fever pitch until he came onto the towel, panting. “Damn. I didn’t know this could be so hot,” he observed.

She moved closer to the camera. “Mmm, I had a feeling it would be nice. I’ve missed you.”

“You have no toys to use on yourself?”

“Can you imagine me having one of those around here?”

“I’m buying you one. Keep it in your dorm if you want. I doubt Galinda will go through your things, anyway. Even if she does, I doubt she’ll judge you for it.”

“And what about over the summer?”

“I can hold onto it for you or you might need to get yourself a lock box, Fae. You clearly need release sometimes.”

“I’m sure you’ll take care of that for me as soon as we get back to campus?” She grinned. “I’ve never done that before, either, Fiyero. I just can’t stop thinking about you.”

“I know. I feel the same. And I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

“I was thinking, do you want to come out here some time during the summer? Since you’ll obviously need real release, and my parents want to meet you anyway.”

She frowned a little. “I’d love to. That’s months away. And… I’d have to find a way to pay for a plane ticket. I’ll try and figure that out.”

“Let me? It’s so you can meet my family after all. You just tell me when is good for you.”

“I’ll look at days, then. But don’t buy a ticket just yet. Like I said, that’s months away. You might get tired of me.”

“Oh, really? I could never.”

“Fiyero, we’ve only been together four months.”

“And we’ve already said ‘I love you,’ and masturbated together on video chat, so I think we’re pretty happy together.”

“We are,” she giggled. “But it is college. And things can change.”

“Are you telling me something?”

“Absolutely not! I just want to be cautious. Hearts can be broken, Fiyero.”

She was afraid he’d hurt her, wasn’t she? He had no plans to do that. But he understood her ambivalence. It was early. And they were only in their first year of college. It wasn’t like they were getting married. Fiyero sighed. “You’re right. But I think you’re forgetting that I’m a prince and my parents like to meet who I’m seeing. It’s kind of a big deal out here. I know they don’t really act like it in greater Oz, but people follow my life out here.”

“Are you telling me I’d have to make public appearances? Fiyero, have people been writing blog posts and articles about us? I mean, you’re right. You’re a prince.”

“We’ve kept it fairly quiet at school, but yes, there might be a little more public attention if I actually start taking you out anywhere big. That’s why I’ve kept it mostly to my dorm or small restaurants. I didn’t want to expose you to that.”

“I can handle it.”

“Elphaba, there will be attention paid to your skin…”

“I know that. I think you forget that my grandfather was elected Governor here and still is. His aberration of a granddaughter has been in the news a bit.”

“You have never told me that.”

“And you’ve never looked me up online?”

“You’ve never looked me up!”

“I haven’t. I don’t like using social media much, anyway.”

“Which is why I haven’t posted anything about you. And I don’t post much, either. But yes, it will mean we’ll be more… public.”

“I’m fine with that.”

“Should we make it public now or wait until summer?”

“Summer. I think we need to wait as long as possible. And I like how quiet it’s been.”

“Then that’s the plan.”

“I do miss you. And not just your body.” Elphaba said softly. “I really miss you. More than I thought for just a month.”

“I feel the same. But I’d better go. I can call you later, though.”

“Love you,” she smiled.

“Love you, too.”


End file.
